A former racing driver living in San Francisco (Dean Jones) finds his fortunes improving after he buys a Volkswagen Beetle. Along with his mechanic (Buddy Hackett) and a woman he might be dating (Michele Lee), he begins to notice that the charming car seems to have its own personality. David Tomlinson and Joe Flynn play the bad guys in this story. "The Love Bug" from 1969 is an enjoyable Disney film centered around racing and fantasy, which led to three more movies being made by 1980, a TV movie in 1997, and another theatrical release in 2005 starring Lindsay Lohan. It’s a nice choice when you're looking for something lighthearted, but I think the later installments—"Herbie Goes Bananas" (1980), the 1997 remake, and "Herbie Fully Loaded" (2005)—are better; the 1997 version is possibly my favorite because it has the Dark Herbie and Alexandra Wentworth. Still, this one began everything. The cast works well together, and the film showcases some beautiful locations. It does feel a little too long, though, and could have been trimmed by about fifteen to twenty minutes. The movie’s length is 1 hour and 48 minutes, and it was filmed entirely in California, including San Francisco, Big Bear Lake, Riverside, Agoura, Santa Clarita, the Monterey Peninsula, Cuddy Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, and studios in Burbank. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB