Chitty Chitty Bang Bang review

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a cutely quaint film based on Ian ‘James Bond’ Fleming’s book, this has also recently been adapted into a very successful stage musical that has introduced wacky inventor Caractacus Potts to a whole new generation of kids.

Here, the part of Caractacus is played, of course, by Dick Van Dyke, who is just perfect as the eccentric professor who invents a flying car he calls Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (after the sound it makes), which takes him and his children (and babe Truly Scrumptious, played by Sally Ann Howes) to the land of Vulgaria, where the ruthless Baron Bomburst (Fröbe, best known as Goldfinger) decides to get his own hands on it. (Adults who saw this as children should perhaps remember how scared they were of the character the Child Catcher, who roams Vulgaria looking for children to snatch, before they decide whether their little ones should watch this.)

Considered a flop when it was released, this is one of those movies that has gathered many fans as time has passed, and despite being far too long at well over two hours, it does boast effects that, while not amazing, are impressive for the time, as well as some zippy musical numbers.