"He knows how to drive, that's the trouble!"
Racer Jim Douglas (Jones) and mechanic Wheely Applegate (Knotts) pull Volkswagen Beetle, Herbie, out of retirement for the Trans-France Race, which is a road course from Paris, France to Monte Carlo, Monaco. But both car and driver are rusty, and unfamiliar with racing in Europe. On the first day of qualifying, Herbie falls for a yellow Lancia, while Jim provokes her driver Diane Darcy (Sommars).
Meanwhile, jewel thieves Max (Fox) and Quincey (Kinnear) steal the famous Etoile de Joie. To avoid capture, they hide the jewel in Herbie's fuel cap. The jewel heist causes famed Parisian detective Inspector Bouchet (Marin) and his eager officer Detective Fontenoy (Saint-Macary) to follow the races and interview all the racers. Can Herbie get the girl and the thieves?
Disney decided to return the Herbie franchise to it's original form: racing. It also returned Dean Jones' Jim Douglas to the drivers seat. Over 10 years have past since The Love Bug premiered... and the film and franchise have changed. Herbie is more expressive in the film, and even gets a love interest, who also shows emotion.
The film makes no mention of the Steinmetz family, who featured prominently in the previous Herbie films. Also, there is no explanation for Jim being single again, as he got married at the end of The Love Bug. Don Knotts is a welcome addition to the cast, filling the void left by Buddy Hackett. While the first two films are strong, this film begins the decline of the franchise. The film is ok, but not great. Stick to The Love Bug, don't watch this film.
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) 105 minutes
Director: Vincent McEveety
Starring: Dean Jones as Jim Douglas
Don Knotts as Wheely Applegate
Julie Sommars as Diane Darcy
Jacques Marin as Inspector Bouchet
Roy Kinnear as Quincey
Bernard Fox as Max
Eric Braeden as Bruno Von Stickle
Xavier Saint-Macary as Detective Fontenoy
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