Herbie: Fully Loaded

... a winning combo that could herald a new lease of life for this surprisingly resilient franchise ...

The movie is savvy enough to toy with these conventions and wacky enough to take a few risks, and it adds up to a fair enough matinee diversion, much like its predecessor.

Its vibrating crowd scenes and splashy visuals will please the seven-to-12 set.

I guess that wacky little car might amuse small children, but the special effects are surprisingly weak, the story is beyond clichéd and the attempt to wedge the hot NASCAR scene into the movie is just clumsy.

Yet, with all the frowning and moping and general droopiness going on, you'd think Lohan and company were performing War and Peace, not a lighthearted Disney racing comedy.

Forgettable Disney reboot

Gets off to a promising start before becoming just another by-the-numbers family film that fails on every level imaginable.

There's an easy confidence about the project.

This new extreme installment of Disney's "Herbie" franchise is an attempt to resuscitate the property when it should have stayed long dead.