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Photos © Copyright Walt Disney Pictures

© Peter T. Chattaway 2005, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

It's a season of "car-driven" remakes at the Cineplex. Batman Begins boasts a way-cool Batmobile, The Dukes of Hazzard rev their engines on the silver screen in a few weeks, and now, Walt Disney's beloved Volkswagen "Herbie" is returning to theaters. Can Knight Rider's Trans Am and The A-Team's battle-armored van be far behind?

Disney is clearly hoping that the Herbie series, which once starred Dean Jones, will now serve as a blockbuster "vehicle" for a very different celebrity—teen superstar Lindsay Lohan. Hey … re-working Disney's Freaky Friday and The Parent Trap worked just fine for Lohan, so why not the Bug?

According to Christian press critics, it could have been worse. But is it any good?

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) takes a more positive spin. "Never taking itself too seriously, Herbie: Fully Loaded imparts a lighthearted underdog message about friendship, loyalty, honesty and the bonds of family."

Lisa Rice (Crosswalk) says the movie "is fast moving and adorable with its campy, sometimes slapstick humor. It appeals to very young children with its silly antics, to teens with the stars being Lindsay Lohan and Justin Long, and to adults, who will likely remember '80s heartthrob, Matt Dillon, and who will enjoy seeing Michael Keaton again. … The movie speaks a message of hope to the hearts of those with big, unfulfilled dreams—especially girls."

Mainstream critics aren't pulling this little car over, but they're not calling it the Car of the Year either.

Michael Elliott (Movie Parables) says, "Lindsay Lohan … does wonderful work here in what will most probably be her last 'adolescent' role, but it is the bug itself that makes the film so much fun for old and young alike. Herbie: Fully Loaded is a true family film in that all ages will find something to appreciate."

Tom Price (Hollywood Jesus) says, "It's good, wholesome and light-hearted entertainment for families—the kind that makes for a good summer afternoon outing."

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