ELYSSA DAVALOS IS GORGEOUS IN 'HERBIE GOES BANANAS'

year: 1980 cast: Charles Martin Smith, Elyssa Davalos rating: ***1/2

The first two Herbie films, THE LOVE BUG and HERBIE GOES TO MONTE CARLO, center on the little car involved in big races; the ultimate underdog stories wherein Herbie is the focal point.

In the third installment, HERBIE RIDES AGAIN, the cute lil' V-dub's merely used as a vehicle for a plot centering on humans. This sequel does the same thing but in a much more entertaining story with better characters, including wily geek Charles Martin-Smith and his buddy Stephen W. Burns as heirs to the love bug, picking Herbie up in South America and then being chased around by mobsters.

Elyssa Davalos, Stephan Burns and Charles Martin Smith

The good guys meet a pickpocket orphan who becomes Herbie's best pal, and along the way journey on a cruise ship and even take part in a bullfight. Burns falls in love with freespirited socialite Cloris Leachman's daughter, the beautiful Elyssa Davalos, while Martin insists they run a con job, giving a little edge to the romance.

HERBIE GOES BANANAS is an enjoyable romp from beginning to end, with many different locations and sticky situations for the characters (including Harvey Korman's cranky ship captain joining Leachman) and our titular bug to sneak out of. Villains John Vernon, Alex Rocco and Richard Jaeckel are both seedy and spooky for a Disney film, but they're no match for Herbie, who, though taking back seat a lot of the time, winds up stealing the show.

Elyssa Davalos in HERBIE GOES BANANAS

Those wistful eyes behind the usual obstructing glasses...

Ah yes, the inevitable lifting of the lenses, thus revealing...

That "ugly duckling" is a now a gorgeous swan...

Oh and how she uses this new look...

John Vernon and Richard Jaeckel as the villains...

Charles Martin Smith and Stephen Burns are the good guys

Herbie, manned by an endearing orphan, fights a bull

BUY HERBIE GOES BANANAS ON AMAZON

Herbie Goes Bananas with complete Mexican Rug Title