Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Special Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Special Edition)
Movie Review: Excellent Family Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
If you have children who are still awed by the magical this movie is for you! The story of an eccentric inventor father and his two young children who discover this junked race car. They fix up the car and magical things happen. Lots of singing and dancing. Lots of fantasy type characters. It is a G movie!Movie Review: Kids love it
Summary: 4 Stars
I want to start by saying THIS IS NOT A DISNEY MOVIE. SOme of the reviews pan the film because of a connection with Disney. But the film wasn't and isn't a disney release. If you want to hate the movie, you should hate it on its own merits (or lack there of). Personally, as an adult, I find the movie overly long and cloying. BUT, my kids love this movie. Given all the choices they have (and they have a bunch) they often choose this film over many others. They have no problem with the length, and they find the film funny and entertaining. For me, I am pleased that the film has little violence, no bad language, and no nasty double entendres. No "winks" to an adult audience such as those that peppered all three Shrek movies for example. I, personally, find this refershing. The movie treats children like children, and this is almost reason enough to have a copy around.Movie Review: GREAT FAMILY MOVIE
Summary: 5 Stars
My kids just love this movie. It is a classic that never gets old!Movie Review: Wonderful children's film
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful film for small children, and adults will be pleasantly surprised by how little it has dated.
I saw this film as a small child when it first came out and loved it.
Recently I was reminded how good the music of the film was when I happened apon the song "The Roses of Success" on the internet, and my two five-year old children appeared in my office in ten seconds flat to see what Daddy was listening to. So I thought I would get them the DVD.
This DVD has held the twins' attention for several playings. They are listening to it as I write and it has finally taken them out of their mother's hair after an afternoon in which they had been driving her, and consequently me, to distraction. The acting was brilliant, the special effects had dated far less than is usual for a film of this vintage, and the music was as good as I had remembered.
The orignal books were written by Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, and were quite dark in tone. The film version is a light musical comedy.
Dick van Dyke plays Caractacus Potts, a poverty stricken inventor, and a widower with two small children. He buys and rebuilds a famous former racing car, which his children name Chitty Chitty Bang Bang after the distinctive noise made by the car's exhaust. (If a forty year old memory of reading the books as a child is accurate, Fleming put a note in the books to the effect that there really had been a famous racing car which had this nickname.)
The Potts family meet Truly Scruptious (Sally Ann Howes) daughter of the local sweet magnate Lord Scruptious (James Robertson Justice.) After they get off to a bad start, she tries to help Caractacus Potts raise the money to restore the car. After initial plans to raise money fall through, Caractacus gets the necessary funds by pure chance.
Restoration completed, Caractacus takes his children to the beach and again they join up with Truly Scrumptious. He tells his children an imaginary story about a wicked foreign potentate, Baron Bomburst (Gert Frobe) with a wife who hates children (Anna Quayle). The Baron wants to steal this wonderful car - a car which can turn into a boat, and also fly. His agents first try to steal the car, then kidnapp Caractacus's father Grandpa Potts (Lionel Jeffries). The viewer is caught up in the story.
Most people will know the ending but I'm not going to give it away for those who don't.
Excellent performances from van Dyke, Howes (was she really 38 years old when this was made?), Lionel Jeffries and James Robertson Justice. Other cast members included Benny Hill ("The Toymaker"), Max Wall, and Barbara Windsor (her character is called simply "Blonde" - I think this was made before she became famous in the Carry On films). Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes did the screenplay.
Perhaps the most memorable part of the film is Richard M Sherman's wonderful music and lyrics.
Movie Review: Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
I've loved this movie since I was a kid and now my kids are watching and loving it as well. High quality production and enthralling story make for a timeless classic.