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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Movie Review

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 family musical film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes. It’s a very flawed, but charming flick.

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“Well, maybe my children like running wild in the street“

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Inventor Caractacus Potts transforms an old car into a magical flying vehicle that transports him and his family to a kingdom ruled by the evil Baron Bomburst. This movie wasn’t made by Disney, but it very much felt like it was made by that studio. It’s similar to ‘Mary Poppins’ to a degree as it has that British charm to it, but it’s also very much American in its excessive action and obsession with machinery.

That machinery-focused narrative was rough for me as somebody who isn’t all that into cars and other vehicles. Some of the vehicles here were very inventively designed and highly memorable, but way too often the movie would just turn into vehicle action that would never end. But it was made for kids, so this is be perfect for them.

Yes, I had to respect this film for actually being a children’s flick. It has a mind and soul of a child in its essence, which made it very endearing to me. Even watching it as an adult, it’s so charming that it’s difficult not to be swept up by its magic. The world building is strong and I loved the European landscapes on display and how well the movie utilized its early 20^th century setting.

Sally Ann Howes was very memorable in the main female role and quite motherly and sweet. Dick Van Dyke was a delight as always. Although this is not one of his best roles, it’s still a solid one and the film made perfect use of him. The kids weren’t all that memorable themselves unfortunately, but the colorful, silly villains worked for this story.

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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a musical and its soundtrack is so-so. It has some overly slow songs such as the one Howes sings. Those stood in contrast to the more fun and vibrant numbers. Truly Scrumptious is very endearing and sweet, but the highlight is the titular banger of a song that was rightfully nominated for an Oscar. It’s so fun, catchy and wonderful. The overall movie is way too long at two and a half hours with a lot of filler, but its humorous and silly tone mostly worked for me, though obviously the plot itself was beyond slight.