Herbie, the Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own, is racing in the Monte Carlo Rally. But thieves have hidden a cache of stolen diamonds in Herbies gas tank, and are now trying to get them back.
Posters and backdrounds of Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo
_**Dean Jones returns and takes Herbie to France, along with mechanic Don Knotts**_ Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) and his new mechanic (Don Knotts) take Herbie to France to compete in the Monte Carlo Rally where Herbie falls for the car of a female racer (Julie Sommars). Meanwhile thieves steal a valuable diamond and hide it in Herbie’s gas tank. Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) brings back Dean Jones minus Michele Lee and Buddy Hackett, but Sommars and Knotts are fine in the corresponding roles. I like the switch to Europe, which is very scenic, but the way the fantasy elements are handled is lousy. This is easily my least favorite of the series. The best ones for me are Herbie Goes Bananas” (1980), The Love Bug” (1997) and Herbie Fully Loaded” (2005) with the 1997 one arguably being my favorite because it has a compelling story that features the Dark Herbie and Alexandra Wentworth. The film runs 1 hour, 45 minutes and was shot in Paris & Monte Carlo, France, but also Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, California. GRADE C
Dean Jones (Jim) returns to the driving seat for this third instalment of the adventures of Herbie and though more akin to the daftness of the first story, this is a bit of struggle to wade through. After twelve years since their last race, they return to take part in the world renowned Monte Carlo Rally. What they dont know, though, is that Quincey (Roy Kinnear) and his mate Max (Bernard Fox) have stashed some gems in the gas tank. Obviously, they are going to stop at nothing to get them back. To further complicate matters, Herbie has taken a bit of a shine to the car driven by Diane (Julie Sommars) just as Jim has fallen for her - with neither of them exactly hitting it off. Can they thwart the jewel thieves and find true love before the final race down the Parisian Champs-Élysées? Jacques Marin steals his scenes as the double-dealing police inspector struggling to comprehend what appears to be unfolding in front of him, and there are plenty of standard car chase and Herbie antics to enjoy - but I think its safe to say weve seen it all before and this story gets more and more silly and contrived as it meanders along for an overlong 1¾ hours of dodgy French accents. Its watchable, but theres way too much dialogue (especially from sidekick Wheely (Don Knotts) and the whole thing isnt really very memorable.
