Product Details

• Actors: Dean Jones, Don Knotts, Michele Lee, Charles Martin Smith, Stephen W. Burns
• Directors: Robert Stevenson, Vincent McEveety
• Writers: Arthur Alsberg, Bill Walsh, Don DaGradi, Don Nelson, Don Tait
• Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.75:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Studio: Buena Vista Distribution Company
• DVD Release Date: June 1, 2004
• Run Time: 403 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0001XAPVK
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,799 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Herbie the Love Bug Collection (The Love Bug/Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo/Herbie Goes Bananas/Herbie Rides Again)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This savvy Disney hit from 1969 made a star of a Volkswagen precisely when the car was becoming more popular than ever. Dean Jones and Michele Lee head the cast in a story about a VW bug with a mind of its own. Disney point man Robert Stevenson, director of The Absent-Minded Professor, Mary Poppins, and lots of other Disney live-action hits, makes the slapstick work perfectly and keeps the laughs coming. Buddy Hackett is very funny in a supporting role.

The first sequel, Herbie Rides Again (1974), is similar enough to the first film's charm and raucous comedy that it works on its own. Neither Dean Jones nor Michelle Lee are back, but a nice cast of familiar pros (including Disney vet Ken Berry) keeps things moving along slickly. The story finds Herbie helping Helen Hayes--yes, the First Lady of the American Theater--keep out of the clutches of Keenan Wynn's villain.

Dean Jones came back to the fold for this third lap around the block, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), which finds him racing in the famed city while thieves plant a stolen diamond in Herbie's gas tank. The plot is forced and conventional, but the cast is the thing: the excitable Don Knotts (The Apple Dumpling Gang) and the tormentable Roy Kinnear (Mr. Salt from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) are good men to have in a potboiler such as this.

The fourth movie, Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), is a wooden story about Herbie's funny adventures heading toward a race in Brazil. Charles Martin Smith and Steven W. Burns try hard to bring some life into this project, but it just doesn't happen. There is one good laugh in the whole thing, in a scene where Herbie becomes a matador. Otherwise, even the picturesque, south-of-the-border stuff doesn't help. Harvey Korman and Cloris Leachman star. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

Herbie Goes Bananas - English/Spanish DVD- Set in exotic locations in Central America, the internationally renowned Herbie, everyone's favorite "love bug," demonstrates his special brand of "car-isma" and high-octane humor in this action-packed, stunt-filled comedy outing. The fun begins when Herbie sets sail for Rio de Janeiro's Grande Premio racing competition with his two new owners. En route, they get sidetracked by a smuggling syndicate, pestered by a pint-sized pickpocket, and bullied by a raging bull. Laughter shifts into high gear in this zany Disney comedy! Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo - DVD- Herbie, the VW with heart, adds some international flair to his lovable personality! Upon entering a Paris-to-Monte Carlo road race, Herbie falls hood over wheels in love when he encounters a sleek, sporty, light blue Lancia. Also vying for Herbie's attention is a gang of jewel thieves, who've ingeniously hidden a stolen gem in Herbie's gas tank! Thus begins a madcap chase across the French countryside that only The Love Bug could create! Herbie Rides Again - DVD- Herbie is back in gear -- revved up and ready for more madcap comedy adventure in this sidesplitting sequel to Disney's popular smash hit, THE LOVE BUG! This time Herbie's leading lady is award-winning actress Helen Hayes, superb in the very first screen comedy of her illustrious career. Aided by co-stars Ken Berry and Stefanie Powers, she's out to save her beloved Victorian firehouse home from the wrecking ball of greedy real estate tycoon Keenan Wynn, Disney's most lovable villain. It's up to Herbie and his bug battalion to "come through in the clutch"! Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a really great time! The Love Bug - DVD Special Edition- For the first time ever you can enjoy this timeless classic in a Special Edition DVD. Fully restored to look and sound as it was originally intended, it also features hours of exclusive bonus materials your entire family will enjoy again and again. He's the star who provides the most laughs per gallon. He's Herbie, the lovable car with a mind of his own. Dean Jones, Michele Lee, and Buddy Hackett join Herbie in this revved-up comedy classic. Jones plays down-on-his-luck race car driver Jim Douglas, who reluctantly teams up with the little machine. Douglas thinks his sudden winning streak is due to his skill, not Herbie's. He finally realizes the car's worth when a sneaky rival plots to steal Herbie for himself. But it's Herbie who'll steal your heart in this wildly fun roller-coaster ride of a movie you'll never forget!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Little Car with Brains and Heart, June 1, 2004

By	Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Here you'll find all the theatrical movies about Herbie, the VW bug race car that has a mind of his own.

Up first is "The Love Bug." Released in 1969, it introduces us to Herbie. Jim is a down on his luck race car driver who needs to win. When Herbie follows him home, he begins to find himself winning. But will he turn his back on the car?

"Herbie Rides Again" followed in 1974. With only the car coming back, this time around he's trying to help a widow protect her home from an evil developer who wants to tear it down to build a skyscraper in it's place.

1977 brought us "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo." Herbie is reunited with Jim as they head to France to make a grand come back in the famous Monte Carlo car rally. As if a comeback weren't enough, Herbie has fallen in love with another race car and jewel thieves have hidden a precious diamond in his gas tank.

Finally, "Herbie Goes Bananas" came in 1980. Herbie is traveling south of the border to a race with his new owner when he gets involved with smugglers and a pick pocket. You never know, he might even wind up in a bull fight.

These movies have different levels of fans. As with any franchise, they are uneven with the first being the best. Still, I watched them all as a kid multiple times and they still have a nostalgic charm for me. I was thrilled to add them to my DVD collection.

This set is a bundling of the movies that have previously been released separately, so if you've already bought them, there's no need to get them again. "The Love Bug" gets a fantastic treatment with two discs and plenty of extras. The extras do deal somewhat with the sequels, which is a good thing, because the rest of the movies are movie only versions. "The Love Bug" and "Herbie Rides Again" are wide screen, while the other two are full frame. The picture has plenty of dust and grain to show its age, but it still looks sharp and is plenty watchable. Audio is full surround. While it won't blow you away, it sounds great.

Any fan of Herbie will want to get these movies. No, they aren't brilliant film making, but they are fun escapism. What else do you need?

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why pay this DOUBLE PRICE?, December 10, 2004

By	GodfatherX (Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews

This package is just fabulous, these great light hearted comedies about the lovely bug in one box.
BUT, and this is a BIG BUT:

Why do US customers at amazon.com have to pay almost double as much for this box as the Germans at amazon.de do for the same box (called "Die Herbie Collection")???

AT THE TIME OF THIS REVIEW the US box costs over 52 Dollars and that's supposively already 20% off. The Germans only pay 28 Dollars (24 Euros) at only 11% off the regular price, and in the german box every movie has 3 Language tracks (english, german, italian) instead of only 1 in the US box (english).
I want to point out that I am not comparing two different companies, both websites are run by Amazon.

Except the differently designed covers, the german box contains the EXACT SAME MOVIES for HALF the PRICE.

The only thing is, that european DVD's are region code 2 (instead of region code 1 in the US), Hollywoods tool to legally rip off all Americans by not let them play just any DVD in their DVD Player at home (unless you have a codefree DVD player).
In Germany almost all DVD's are equipped with more language tracks and available cheaper than in the US.
Ask yourself why? Hollywood rules (in a bad sense!).

Buy the german version of this box (if you have a region code free DVD player) and save BIG bucks. Even the worldwide shipping shouldn't make up for the difference of 24 Dollars.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Movies Poor DVD, November 1, 2005

By	DW (UK) - See all my reviews

The entertainment industry again shows how little they care about quality but they are well focused on our money. The first movie has been transfered to DVD with some care and includes bonus material. The second movie is at least in widescreen format but a bit faded. The last two are in lousy full screen format and no effort was made to provide a quality DVD; the picture is very grainy and faded.