One of the reasons is that we want our 2 year old to experience the movies we grew up with, and the other is nostalgia.

Before watching this movie again recently, I could only remember that there was a flying car, a nice title song, and something about children being kidnapped. Watching it again for the first time, I discovered that I had forgotten most of the movie.

Caractacus Potts (Dick Van Dyke) is an inventor way ahead of his time, whose inventions don't always work the way they are intended. If you think his name is weird, the female lead is Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes), the daughter of a rich sweet manufacturer. This unlikely pair, along with his two kids and the wonderful car, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, are the star players in a story which starts out being about pirates, and ends up as a rescue mission. With comic support from Caractacus' father, and a toy maker (Benny Hill, in an uncharacteristic G rated performance), they defeat the schemes of spies (kind of like Laurel and Hardy combined with Boris and Natasha), an evil Baron and Baroness,and a wicked childcatcher, to bring the story within a story to a predictable but entertaining end.

The scenery is breathtaking, especially the Vulgarian castle and surroundings, and since this is a 1968 movie, we can forgive the lack of finesse in the special effects, where the characters stick out like sore thumbs from the backgrounds, and wires can be seen attached to Professor Potts during a dance sequence.

It's a little harder to swallow the concept of Truly Scrumptious running around on the beach dressed in tons of white cloth and coming up spotless, and her song about needing a lovely man is way too over the top and much too long. I will admit to skipping over that one.

The sing along feature is a nice touch, and catchy songs (other than the theme song) include "Me Old Bamboo", "Toot Sweet", my personal favorite "P O S H (Posh)", and the nearly too sugary "Truly Scrumptious".

Overall, this DVD is a refreshing family movie that you will watch over and over again.


Great, In Spite Of The Title Song!   July 27, 2004
 40 out of 55 found this review helpful

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a real challenge. The problem with the film lies in the title song, which is probably the least inspired musical effort in the Canon of Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. Just saying "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" is a mouthful, but having to hear it performed SEVEN times during this film is taxing.

But once you get over the redundancy of that, you'll find a fine story performed by a wonderful cast. Dick Van Dyke turns in his typically wonderous work as the Crack Pot inventor Caractacus Potts, and Sally Ann Howes as Ian Fleming's Bond Girl named "Truly Scrumptious," his rival, then love interest.

But for kids it's all about the car that can fly in the air and sail on the sea. For a film made in the late 1960s, the special effects are remarkable, and the film is shot beautifully.

This DVD package is especially good because you get a bonus disc with some very interesting featurettes, including a press conference style interview with Van Dyke who had just started filming on location in Great Britain and other bits including a documentary piece on all of the Potts "inventions" for the film and an interview with the guy who is the caretaker of the film's famous vehicle.

Overall, the movie may not be quite as good as "Mary Poppins," but it's right there with "Willy Wonka!"

Highly recommended.


Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Not So Special Edition   November 26, 2003
 31 out of 36 found this review helpful

Well...after all the waiting, it's finally landed. I wish I could say that it's truly scrumptious, but in truth, from the ashes of disaster (the previous DVD release) grow the roses of mediocrity. Like so many DVD "special editions" of late (A Christmas Story, Willy Wonka, etc), this one is a bit short on the "special".

The film itself is presented in two formats on the first disc. Both widescreen and pan & scan. The widescreen transfer is just slightly wider than the laserdisc release and the colors seem to me to be about the same, though my laserdisc is rotting and the colors are a bit compromised. It might be worth getting for the widescreen alone if you don't already have at that aspect ratio. Also on disc one is the "sing along" feature and a preview of the musical which only succeeds in demonstrating how fat Michael Ball is.

Disc two (home of the real disappointments) has a conversation type "documentary" with Dick Van Dyke (and ONLY Dick Van Dyke) where he reminisces about some of the cast. Another new feature is with Pierre Picton, owner of the nicest of the on-screen cars and it's kind of a fun look at the eccentric who owns and cares for the car. There are 3 vintage featurettes, one with designer Rowland Emett which is interesting, another which is apparently a press conference with Dick Van Dyke (boring) and the last "featuring the children" (but not really). One excellent special feature (and kudos to the person responsible!), is the inclusion of more than a dozen of the Shermans original demos for the film.

There are about 7 trailers for the film, both theatrical and television, but not the one which followed the film on the laserdisc version which, to me, seems like the genuine trailer. It is presented on the DVD in French, but not in English.

The remainder of the special features are kiddie things like digital coloring book, inventor games, etc.

I'm sure money may have been the reason for not presenting a more professional and interesting supplement. Sally Ann Howes is alive and well...I've seen her in NY. The kids, Heather Ripley and Adrian Hall, attended the premiere of the stage show in London, so they're definitely locateable. Very little is said about the locations or the production of the film. I was expecting a documentary of the caliber on MGM's Bond DVD releases given that the production company was largely the same. At least pay Dick enough to do a running commentary! Shame on you, MGM.

Perhaps what disappointed me most of all is that I feel that I could have made a better effort.


COSMIC STUDIO RIPOFF AGAIN!   October 16, 1999
 26 out of 33 found this review helpful

Shot in SUPERPANAVISION!!!! Bunged onto DVD in 4:3 without a thought. (Quick let's rip the stupid people off for Christmas)

Get with the plot and don't buy this turkey DVD

Great film spoiled by the DVD distribution again!


CHITTY CHITTY BANK BANK   February 18, 2000
 22 out of 27 found this review helpful

OTHER THAN THE CLASSIC DISNEY CARTOONS, CCBB WAS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOVIES FOR ME AS A CHID. A FLYING CAR, NIFFTY GADETS, LOVABLE GOOFY TUNES, AND OF COURSE THE "CHILD CATCHER". DRESSED ALL IN BLACK, WITH A VERY PALE SKIN FACE, HE SEARCHES THE KINGDOM TO CAPTURE ANY AND ALL CHILDREN, BY ANY MEANS. HE WAS TRULY TERRIFING. IT RIVALS THE WITCH OF THE WEST FROM "THE WIZARD OF OZ". I STILL ENJOY WATCHING THIS MOVIE, EXCEPT FOR ONE MAJOR FLAW IN THE DVD EDITION. THE MOVIE WAS FILMED IN SUPER PANAVISION 70MM, WHAT CONSUMERS GOT IS A PAN N SCAN TV VERSION. THIS IS TRULY AN ABOMINATION OF WHAT THE DIRECTOR ENTEDED US TO SEE. ALL MOVIES SHOULD BE SHOWN IN THERE ORIGINAL FORMAT! . NOW, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO REALLY DON'T MIND SEEING THIS PAN VERSION, IT IS A MUST GET FOR CHIDREN AND ADULTS OF ANY AGE.