I always think you can judge the success of a kiddie movie by the buzz they give off as they leave the cinema.

Shuffling out with heads down searching for the last few crumbs of popcorn is a bad sign; but in this case every child in the place came out revved up and ready to roll, muttering things like 'did you see the bit where...', 'wasn't it wicked when ...', and even 'Mum, can I have a VW Beetle?'.

Yep, old Herbie the Love Bug we mums and dads remember from the '70s is back.

And in true 21st century style, there are thrills, spills and souped up special effects to keep even the most boredom-prone youngsters glued to the screen this holiday.

This 2005 remake/sequel quickly brings us up to speed with what's been happening to everyone's favourite VW since we last saw him.

When the unspeakable happens and Herbie loses a race or two, his fall from grace is swift and he ends up in a junkyard awaiting demolition.

As he is wheeled up to the crusher, he is spotted by Maggie Peyton (Lohan) - the daughter of former racing car driver Ray (Keaton) who is being treated to her choice of second-hand cars as a graduation gift.

Unaware of Herbie's independent streak, Maggie rides off in him but quickly finds the car has a mind (and feelings) of its own.

Little Herbie's determination to humiliate self-important NASCAR champion Trip Murphy (Dillon) lands Maggie with a dilemma.

Should she defy her over-protective father and head for the race track, or be a good little girl and trundle off to her pre-arranged new job as a sports presenter?

You don't need to be a genius to work out which route the movie takes.

And therein lies my only complaint about this film - you know exactly what is going to happen from the opening credits.

Will Maggie choose battered old Herbie from the scrapyard? Of course she will.

Will Maggie's dad overcome his prejudices to allow her behind the wheel? Sure thing.

Will Maggie and Herbie defy all odds and go on to win the big race? What do you think?

Predictability aside, you can't help but love the Bug. Herbie: Fully Loaded is a great old-fashioned film, appealing to the same values which made the original films a hit more than 30 years ago.

It's wholesome and more than a bit silly, but the kids will be left gripping their seats and giggling all the way through.

I can think of worse ways to spend a rainy weekday afternoon in the school holidays. 6/10

Michelle Tompkins

Herbie: Fully Loaded

Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Matt Dillon, Justin Long, Michael Keaton

Certificate U, 101 minutes

At cinemas from today