Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)

★ 5.9 1h 45m IMDb

Action Comedy Romance Adventure Family

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 Herbie's gas tank, and are now trying to get them back.

Where to Watch

Checking 300+ streaming services for this title. Check back soon.

Rent / Buy

No rental or purchase options available yet.

Cast

Dean Jones as Jim Douglas Died 2015 · Decatur, Alabama, USA Dean Carroll Jones (January 25, 1931 – September 1, 2015) was an American actor. He is best known for his leading roles in several Walt Disney movies between 1965 and 1977, most notably The Love Bug..

Don Knotts as Wheely Applegate Died 2006 · Morgantown, West Virgina, USA Don Knotts (July 21, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American comedic actor best known for his portrayal of Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show and Ralph Furley on Three's Company. Knotts was marr...

Julie Sommars as Diane Darcy Age 86 · Fremont, Nebraska, USA

Jacques Marin as Inspector Bouchet Died 2001 · Paris, France Jacques Marin (9 September 1919 – 10 January 2001) was a French actor on film and television. Marin's fluency in English and his instantly recognisable features made him a familiar face in some major...

Roy Kinnear as Quincey Died 1988 · Wigan, Lancashire, England, UK Roy Mitchell Kinnear (January 8, 1934 – September 20, 1988) was an English character actor and comedian. He was known for his acting roles in movies such as Henry Salt in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & t...

Director Vincent McEveety

Cast Dean Jones, Don Knotts, Julie Sommars, Jacques Marin, Roy Kinnear, Bernard Fox, Eric Braeden, Xavier Saint-Macary, François Lalande, Alan Caillou

Wuchak 5/10 Jul 12, 2020

_**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

CinemaSerf 6/10 Dec 26, 2023

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 don't 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 it's safe to say we've 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. It's watchable, but there's way too much dialogue (especially from sidekick "Wheely" (Don Knotts) and the whole thing isn't really very memorable.