I'm old enough to have seen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang during its original theatrical run, and I've just about recovered.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:22
Fresh:13
Rotten:9
Average Rating:5.4/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 30 mins
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: Van Dyke's charming as a daydreaming inventor who fixes up an old jalopy and, with the vivid imaginations of his two children and a lady friend, it is transformed into a flying, floating wonder car... Van Dyke's charming as a daydreaming inventor who fixes up an old jalopy and, with the vivid imaginations of his two children and a lady friend, it is transformed into a flying, floating wonder car that carries them to a magical kingdom. Inspired by an Ian Fleming idea. [More]
Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Benny Hill
Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Benny Hill, Robert Helpmann, Gert Frobe, James Robertson Justice, Anna Quayle, Barbara Windsor
Director: Ken Hughes
Director: Ken Hughes
Screenwriter: Roald Dahl, Ken Hughes, Richard Maibaum
Producer: Albert R. Broccoli
Composer: Irwin Kostal
Reviews for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was made in Britain for American consumption, but its magic works on kids and adults of any nationality.
Ken Adam's sets are inventive, but the special effects are shoddy, the songs instantly forgettable, and the leisurely length an exquisite torture.
A fast, dense, friendly children's musical, with something of the joys of singing together on a team bus on the way to a game.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang contains about the best two-hour children's movie you could hope for, with a marvelous magical auto and lots of adventure and a nutty old grandpa and a mean Baron and some funny dances and a couple of [scary] moments.
Given that the film runs almost two-and-a-half hours, it's fairly clear that a substantial amount of trimming would have been appropriate.
It's some fresh circle of hell to revisit childhood favourites only to inevitably discover that, as a child, one is almost indubitably an idiot.
...if children can stay awake long enough, they will undoubtedly find much of it entertaining.
The film is too long at well over two hours, but the effects are impressive for the time and the musical numbers zippy.
Something of an oddity doubtless. But memorable for its visuals and its creepy, evil baddie.
Latest News for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
November 17, 2008:
Sony Woos Family Filmgoers ![]()
Eager to take advantage of the mini-renaissance of family-friendly films at the box office, Sony has quietly ramped up its plans in that area, moving ahead with a variety of... More...
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