Alright fellow tape travelers, let's rewind to a time when our favorite sentient Volkswagen Beetle decided to pack his non-existent bags and head south for a rather… unusual adventure. I'm talking about Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), the fourth installment in the original Herbie film series. If you recall the sheer charm and surprisingly warm heart of The Love Bug (1968) or the whimsical fun of Herbie Rides Again (1974), this entry might feel like Herbie took a detour through a slightly different, perhaps more chaotic, part of town. And yes, the title itself is a pretty good indicator of the vibe.
### South of the Border Shenanigans
The setup involves Herbie being inherited by Pete Stanhope's (the original protagonist, played by Dean Jones in other films, but absent here) young nephew, Davy Johns, played by a fresh-faced Charles Martin Smith (just before his memorable role in American Graffiti). Davy and his friend D.J. (played by Stephen W. Burns) are driving Herbie down to Brazil to enter him in the Grande Premio race. Along the way, they pick up a streetwise orphan named Paco (Joaquin Garay III), who nicknames Herbie "Ocho" (Spanish for eight, a clever nod to Herbie's number 53 adding up), and inadvertently get tangled up with gold smugglers and ancient Inca treasures. Add in the fiery Aunt Louise (Cloris Leachman, bringing her trademark comedic energy) and the resourceful anthropology student Melissa (Stefanie Powers, known later for Hart to Hart), and you've got a recipe for slapstick chaos under the Mexican (and Panamanian, and Brazilian...) sun.
This outing was directed by Vincent McEveety, a Disney live-action veteran who helmed films like The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) and The Strongest Man in the World (1975), but this was his first time behind the wheel for Herbie. The change is noticeable. While the previous films certainly had comedic elements, Bananas leans heavily into broad, almost cartoonish physical comedy. Think Herbie disrupting a bullfight, getting "seasick" on a cruise ship (leading to some rather unfortunate projectile banana incidents – hence the title!), and generally causing mayhem wherever he rolls.
### A Different Kind of Love Bug
Let's be honest, for many of us who grew up loving Herbie, this one felt… different. The warmth and subtle character moments of the earlier films often take a backseat to more overt gags. Herbie himself seems less like a character with quirky motivations and more like a vehicle (pun intended) for slapstick set pieces. Some of the humor, particularly involving Paco and some local stereotypes, hasn't aged particularly well, feeling a bit uncomfortable through a modern lens. It's a product of its time, certainly, but worth noting.
Despite this shift, there's still a certain goofy charm to be found, especially if you watched it wide-eyed on a fuzzy CRT back in the day. Cloris Leachman is reliably funny, throwing herself into the absurdity with gusto. Charles Martin Smith does his best as the slightly hapless straight man caught up in the whirlwind. The location shooting in Mexico and the Panama Canal Zone adds a touch of authentic scenery to the escapade, a genuine effort to give the film scale beyond the Disney backlot. It certainly looks like a sunny, escapist adventure, even if the plot feels thinner than stretched taffy.
### Retro Fun Facts: Herbie's Tropical Troubles
Herbie Goes Bananas didn't quite capture the magic (or the box office gold) of its predecessors. While specific budget figures are debated, it earned around $18 million domestically, a noticeable dip from earlier entries, signalling perhaps that the initial Love Bug craze was waning. It effectively put the brakes on Herbie's theatrical career for a quarter of a century, until Herbie: Fully Loaded revved things up again in 2005.
One interesting tidbit is how they achieved some of Herbie's antics. The bullfighting scene, for instance, involved clever editing, specially modified VW Beetles (some driven backwards with hidden drivers, others remotely controlled), and undoubtedly a lot of patience. These practical effects, while maybe not seamless by today's standards, have that tangible quality we love from the VHS era. You knew it wasn't CGI; someone actually rigged a Beetle to do that.
The film also marked the end of the line for the original series' continuity for a long time. While a short-lived TV series, Herbie, the Love Bug, aired in 1982 (starring Dean Jones again!), Bananas was the final big-screen outing for this iteration of the plucky car.
### Still Worth a Rewind?
Watching Herbie Goes Bananas today is an interesting experience. It’s undeniably the oddball of the original series, a film that traded some of its heart for broader laughs and sillier situations. It lacks the witty script of the first film or the charming fantasy of the second. Yet… there’s still a Herbie in there. There are moments of fun, particularly involving the car's physical comedy, and the cast certainly commits to the material.
For kids watching in the early 80s, the pure visual spectacle of a car acting up in exotic locations might have been enough. It was Herbie! He was fighting a bull! He was causing trouble on a boat! The critical nuances probably didn't register amidst the sugary cereal haze of a Saturday morning viewing. And sometimes, isn't that uncomplicated enjoyment what nostalgia is all about? It might not be the best Herbie adventure, but it’s a Herbie adventure, captured forever on those chunky rental tapes.
VHS Heaven Rating: 5/10
Justification: While boasting some fun practical effects with Herbie and energetic performances (especially from Cloris Leachman), Herbie Goes Bananas suffers from a weaker script, broader (and sometimes dated) humor, and less character charm compared to its predecessors. It feels like a less inspired detour for the franchise. Points are awarded for the nostalgic value, the ambition of the location shooting, and those moments where Herbie's physical comedy still lands a chuckle, but it falls short of the magic found elsewhere in the series.
It might not be the crown jewel of the Herbie collection, but Herbie Goes Bananas remains a curious, sun-drenched, and occasionally amusing slice of early 80s Disney, forever preserved in the amber glow of our VHS memories – even if those memories are a little… well, bananas.