Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) Review

Title: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Year: 1968
Director: Ken Hughes
Country: UK
Language: English

Based on the 1964 children's book Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magic Car  by famed Bond writer Ian Fleming, this loose adaptation. released from United Artists, sought to rival Disney's latest live action ventures. Unfortunately it was not commercially or critically successful at the time. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has gained a cult following in the decades since its release. 

A down-on-his-luck inventor (Dick Van Dyke)  turns a broken-down Grand Prix car into a fancy vehicle for his children, and then they go off on a magical fantasy adventure to save their grandfather.

Written by Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and scored by the Sherman Brothers (The Jungle Book) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a quirky musical that has impressive choreography, imaginative set design, and delightful cinematography. The film does spectacle very well. 

Unfortunately Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has a very slow start to set-up the adventure. It's two and a half hours long, but 30min could have been cut from the first hour and nobody would miss it. The practical effects are also pretty dated, keeping the picture from being truly timeless.

This picture makes a great family double feature with Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) Chitty Chitty is not a film I seek out, but I have good memories from watching it as a child.