The Love Bug (1997 film)

Infobox Film
name =The Love Bug (1997 Television Movie)
director = Peyton Reed
producer = Irwin Marcus
writer = Ryan Rowe
starring = Bruce Campbell
John Hannah
Alexandra Wentworth
Kevin J. O'Connor
Dana Gould
Harold Gould
Micky Dolenz
Burton Gilliam
Clarence Williams III
Dean Jones
Jeff Garlin
Alecia Guzman
Rich Hall
music = Shirley Walker
cinematography = Russ T. Alsobrook
editing = Chip Masamitsu
distributor = Disney-ABC Domestic Television
released = November 30, 1997
runtime = 88 minutes
language = English
imdb_id = 0119571
preceded_by = "Herbie Goes Bananas"
followed_by = ""

"The Love Bug" is made-for-television film starring Bruce Campbell and a sequel to the original "The Love Bug" film. The sequel included a Dean Jones cameo, tying it to the previous films. Also, this movie introduced an evil black Volkswagen named Horace, "the Hate Bug."

The film can be seen as a remake of the original, since the events of the original are repeated closely, as well as a sequel, since it is made clear that this film happens after "Herbie Goes Bananas". It can also be thought of as a prototype or "first attempt" of "", since the events of that film are also duplicated here, such as a modern racer finding Herbie in a junkyard and restoring him.

This 1997 "Love Bug" film marks the first new appearance of Herbie in more than 15 years, following the Bug's lone TV series, which had ended after five episodes.

Trivia

*The font and placement of the number 53 on Herbie is completely different from all previous incarnations.

*The name "Hank Cooper" had already been used in the Disney film "Gus" as the name of the owner of the fictional football team the "California Atoms". Don Knotts starred in the film and co-starred with Dean Jones in the film "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo".

*Unlike all other Herbie movies, The Love Bug (1997) is not available on DVD. It was only released on video in Region 1. (the U.S) It is the only film in the "Herbie" series not available on DVD.

*Near the end of the final race, Herbie is split in half by a laser installed in Horace. This is similar to the ending of the big race in "The Love Bug", where Herbie had fallen apart into a "front" and "back" half. In this movie, Herbie is split into a "left" and "right" half. True to the end of "The Love Bug", Herbie takes "first and third place".

*The showdown between Horace and Herbie is somewhat similar to discussions by fans of a possible showdown between Herbie and Christine, an evil car created by Stephen King. Both cars have often been likened as polar opposites.

*Jim Douglas insists that all of Herbie's original parts must be fixed and used, instead of replacing them with vintage parts from ordinary VW Bugs. Not to do so would cause Herbie to lose his "vital essence." Yet, in "" Herbie is rebuilt into both a street racer and later a NASCAR racer, with new parts, but with no loss of his personality.