Film
Herbie Rides Again
A sentient VW Beetle befriends a tenacious elderly woman fighting a greedy developer who wants her land. Herbie Rides Again is pure seventies whimsy—earnest, gently funny, and utterly committed to the bit. It's made for families who enjoy their fantasy played straight, not winking at the camera.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you have a soft spot for gentle, old-fashioned slapstick where a car has more personality than most of the cast and the villains are twirling-moustache cartoonish.
Skip it if you need brisk pacing and sharp jokes, since this one ambles through its chases and its romance at a leisurely, sitcom-like speed that can drag for modern viewers.
What it asks of you: Expect an easygoing 88 minutes with little strain: it trades on physical gags and a sunny mood, so you can half-attend and still follow.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Love Bug1968
The original film that started it all. If you love Herbie's personality and charm, this is where it began—warm, clever, and genuinely inventive for its time.
But The pacing feels languid by modern standards, and some of the humour relies on romantic tropes that haven't aged smoothly.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang1968
A magical car adventure with equal parts fantasy, family entertainment, and genuine invention. Same spirit of inanimate objects having personality and heart.
But It's extremely long and whimsical to the point of meandering. The child-catcher sequence genuinely disturbs some viewers.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory1971
Same era, same tone of family fantasy played with complete sincerity. A world with its own logic and charm, shepherded by an eccentric guide character.
But It's deliberately strange and occasionally unsettling. Some find it dated; others find the deliberate artificiality off-putting.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Herbie Rides Again
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Vanishing Point1971
Both films from the early seventies are fundamentally about the car as character—but one celebrates it as a benevolent friend, the other as a dark mirror of the driver's soul.
A driver and his Dodge Challenger race across America in a fever dream of violence and freedom. Like Herbie, it's about the symbiotic relationship between driver and machine, but Vanishing Point treats that bond as metaphysically serious.
But It's nihilistic, drug-fueled, and culminates in tragedy. The film is austere and hypnotic rather than comforting. Completely different mood.
More like this (8)
Bedknobs and Broomsticks1971
Earnest family fantasy with practical magic and animation. A found-family story where ordinary people stumble into extraordinary circumstances, very much in Herbie's wheelhouse.
But The runtime pushes two and a half hours. The animated sequences feel quite separate from the live-action story.
The Absent-Minded Professor1961
Early Disney invention fantasy with Fred MacMurray. Pure heart, technical ingenuity, and a plot that turns on a humble object doing impossible things.
But It's in black and white, and the comedy timing is very much of its era. The romance subplot will feel thin to modern eyes.
Freaky Friday1976
Another Disney body-swap comedy from right around the same era. Genuinely touching relationship story wrapped in fantastical premise and light humour.
But The gender-stereotype comedy hasn't aged well. Some scenes land as accidentally insulting rather than clever.
Pete's Dragon1977
A boy and his dragon in a small coastal town. More serious in tone than Herbie, but shares the warmth and practical magic of seventies Disney adventure.
But The live-action/animation blend is jarring. The pacing sags in the middle, and the plot meanders considerably.
The Cat from Outer Space1978
A telepathic alien cat helps a scientist outwit bad guys. Same playful fantasy logic and earnest family adventure as Herbie Rides Again.
But It's genuinely silly in ways that require patience. The plot is thin and the jokes don't land consistently.
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo1977
More Herbie! If you want to stay in this world, this sequel leans into the car's character and adds a heist element to the formula.
But It repeats the formula pretty faithfully, so if the first one doesn't quite work for you, this won't convert you. The charm has to work the first time.
Christine1983
The inverse of Herbie's benevolence: a car with agency, personality, and will. Where Herbie protects, Christine possesses. Same magical premise, diametrically opposed morality.
John Carpenter's horror film about a possessed car that falls in love with its owner. Gorgeous cinematography, deeply unsettling premise, and pitch-perfect tone—it knows exactly what kind of story it's telling.
But It's a genuine horror film with violence and adult themes. The car here is malevolent and seductive. If you want warmth, this is the opposite direction.
Tokyo Story1953
Both centre an elderly woman facing the world with quiet dignity and an unconventional ally (Herbie/her family). Both find their deepest emotion in small gestures and loyalty rather than drama.
Ozu's masterpiece about an elderly couple visiting their son in postwar Tokyo. It moves slowly, observes gently, and finds profound tenderness in everyday moments. The heart of the film is exactly like Herbie's—unhurried, generous, full of grace.
But It has no plot in the conventional sense. It's in Japanese, in black and white, and it's almost three hours long. It's a film about sitting with people, not about conflict or jokes.
People
Cast
Helen HayesMrs. Steinmetz
Ken BerryWilloughby Whitfield
Stefanie PowersNicole
John McIntireMr. Judson
Keenan WynnAlonzo Hawk
Huntz HallJudge
Ivor BarryChauffeur
Dan TobinLawyer
Vito ScottiTaxi Driver
Raymond BaileyLawyer
Liam DunnDoctor
Elaine DevrySecretary
Directing
- Robert StevensonDirector
Writing
- Gordon BufordAuthor
- Bill WalshScreenplay
Production
- Bill WalshProducer
Recommended by
The Apple Dumpling Gang, Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, Superdad, Gus, Blackbeard's Ghost, The Shaggy Dog