Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls start your engines. You’re about to take an incredible ride with one of the most wonderful family films of all time! Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has never looked or sounded better. Dick Van Dyke stars as eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, who creates an extraordinary car called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It not only drives but also flies and floats as it leads him, his two children and his beautiful lady friend, Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes), into a magical world of pirates, castles and endless adventure.This remastered, pan-and-scan 30th-anniversary edition of that kiddie-car caper is flawed but solid family fare. It retains a quaint charm while some of the songs–including the title tune–are quite hummable. A huge plus is Dick Van Dyke, who is extremely appealing as an eccentric inventor around the turn of the century. With nimble fingers and a unique way of looking at the world, he invents for his children a magic car that floats and flies. Or does he? The special effects are tame by today’s standards, and the film is about 20 minutes too long–but its enthusiasm charms. The script was cowritten by Roald Dahl and based on the novel by Ian Fleming, best known for his James Bond adventures. –Rochelle O’Gorman
Buy “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang “ For Only $4.99
April 19, 2008
#1
I am really sick and tired of people saying how wonderful this movie is and how it’s the greatest childs movie. Well your wrong, this is a pathetic movie that is trying so hard to be a big hit like Mary Poppins it’s unbelievable!
I saw this movie when i was a child and hated it as it was so long and boring, and recently i watchd it on TV at christmas, i was very very bored O.K! And was i the only one hoping the child catcher would lock up the children forever as i was fed up with their dreadful cockney screetchers.
Dick Van Dyke was no good in Mary Poppins and is no good in this. Sally Ann Howes was meant to be the Julie Andrews of the movie, but wasn’t half as good an actress or singer to potray the character convincingly.
I hate this movie, but love Mary Poppins and yet people say that they are similar
WHY?
April 19, 2008
#2
Pretty bad quality, next time I’ll order a previously viewed selection rather than Amazon’s new product!
April 19, 2008
#3
A dull, sophmoric musical about a turn of the century inventor-mechanic who turns a racing car into a flying and floating machine. While on the beach, he fantasizes about himself, his ladyfriend (the daughter of a candy-making tycoon), and two children named Jeremy and Jemima (who in the world would name their daughter Jemima?) flying off to a fantasy land where an evil king and queen keep children as prisoners. The acting and the story (loosely based on the one by the late British writer Ian Fleming) are lousy. The musical numbers are anything but memorable; especially the number “Chu-chi face” performed by the king and queen. This rank imitation of “Mary Poppins” is anything but entertaining and should definitely not be shown to young children.
April 19, 2008
#4
Please read this review to the end, because it discusses several important highs AND lows about this DVD package. It’d be unfortunate & unbalanced, if you only got half the picture.
1) The main DVD (1 of 2) has the widescreen version of the film on one side, and the TV-square version on the other side. This format makes SO much sense, and is good value for the customer.
2) Disney, which usually overloads their VHS video and DVDs with ads, and shovels them at you BEFORE the main feature, has let their ads sit in the PROPER place, this time– under “extras” in the DVD menu. There are LOTS of extras– a kids’ book built-in on the DVD case, and some slightly puffy ad-interviews… but generally satisying despite the happy-happy-joy-joy quality of the interviews.
3) If my copy is typical, then the plastic Disney used in the DVD is substandard. My copy of the DVD has no other signs of heavy use, but already has a PAIR of fractures extending from the center of the DVD to the silvered data-bearing surface. Repeated insertion and removal from its standard pressure/friction-fit DVD case, will cause this DVD to quickly disintegrate into an unreadable coffee-cup coaster.
4) Oh yeah– the MOVIE. *grin* It’s pure Dick Van Dyke musical. I’d love to say it’s Dick Van Dyke + Julie Andrews, like Mary Poppins, but it’s not. However, the Julie Andrews replacement used in this film is completely acceptable, and does a job equal to Ms. Andrews’ performances, and almost as pretty onscreen.
Like the Andrews films “Sound of Music” and “Mary Poppins”, the childrens’ performances are somewhat weak. Dick Van Dyke, however, is at the top of his game. Amazing, in someone old enough to have grey in in his hair (40 something, at this point ?) is energetic enough to do over 20 takes (by his own reporting) of the “Old Bamboo” piece, where he’s required to jump over a piece of bamboo that he’s holding for himself (at slightly over waist height). Good GOD, I may only know one person who can do that, even ONCE.
The music is memorable, especially the “living doll” duet late in the film. The plot is predictable, and silly kids’ stuff, but– heck, this IS a kids’ musical, so one can’t expect a Dustin Hoffman acting level, with a Michael Moore punch and a Silence-of-the-Lambs plotline.
5) Do you REALLY want to buy a Disney film, this year ? I don’t. It’d send the wrong message to them, after they’ve withheld distribution (through their daughter-company Miramax) on the latest Michael Moore film (Fahrenheit 9/11). Their excuse is, it’d endanger the million-dollar tax breaks they get from Bush’s brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush. So, they’re copping out on their contractual obligation to distribute the film that got Cannes Film Festival’s top award. That ain’t right. If they’d had objections, the time to raise them was when the contract wasn’t yet signed. Don’t support these guys. Not this year.
April 19, 2008
#5
Unlike many one starred reviews, it was not the picture quality that I hated. IT WAS THE MOVIE ITSELF! Points being.
1. The romance between Truly and Caractus *whatever his name is* has no chemistry to it, it feels forced, and no offense but he *Carac- Dick Van Dyke* had about as much sex appeal as that “Ernest goes to where ever guy*
2. Plot holes: We never know quite why the Baroness hates children or why her husband is always trying to kill her
3. The Grandfather disappears from the time he’s kidnapped till the time he’s rescued. How did he escape, what was he doing in that room with all those old men for all that time?
4. The child catcher: Creepy [...] pedophile looking guy that if I was a kid watching this movie I would probably get nightmares. A Notable scene is where he leers down into the basement grateing “Lolliiipops…..Caandyyy”. If those kids were stupid enough to believe this creep than maybe they deserved to be kidnapped.
****This Cars’ a lemon avoid this movie, Watch Mary Poppins instead or Pete’s Dragon.