
Disney bridges generation gap

Can't say I ever thought of the original Herbie films as being among Disney's finest, but bearing in mind how much better the modern remake of 'Freaky Friday' was than the original I thought I'd give this a chance. I was pleasantly surprised because the director has clearly approached this in the right way, keeping enough respect for fans of the original Herbie while also making sure the film is exciting enough for a young, 21st Century audience. One thing I particularly liked was the way they very much limited the amount of digital/CGI effects used and tried to keep as much real live action with the car as possible. This helps the movie to avoid the soulless feeling (the director says she aimed for a 'cosy' milieu) that too many all-CGI blockbusters suffer from.
All the main performances are strong, especially that of Matt Dillon who brilliantly evokes the spirit of a real old-school Disney villian. The excellent Breckin Meyer is perhaps slightly underused, but at least we can see some of his deleted scenes among the DVD extras. The cast aren't merely having fun all the time as there are some scenes requiring really good acting, such as those exploring the relationship between the heroine (Lindsay Lohan) and her father (Michael Keaton), and these too are carried off with aplomb. All in all this is a classy family film for everyone to enjoy. Recommended.
Review ID: 10000000001677997

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