Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

What’s the Story?

Based loosely on the novel by Ian Fleming of James Bond fame, the fantasy-musical CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG gets rolling when Caractacus Potts (Dick Van Dyke), an eccentric inventor with barely enough money to keep a roof over his two kids' heads, buys a beat-up motorcar for them and transforms it into a dream machine that can fly, float, and, it seems, even think for itself. A day at the seashore with the car called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang spawns an elaborate adventure in Vulgaria as the Potts clan and candy heiress Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes) try to rescue Grandpa Potts from his kidnappers, Baron and Baroness Bomburst. On the adventure, an exceedingly creepy child catcher entices the young Jeremy and Jemima Potts with lollipops, Caractacus and Truly pose as life-size dolls at the Baron's birthday party, and the country's imprisoned children stage a revolt.

Is It Any Good?

After writing the music for the extraordinary Mary Poppins, brothers Richard and Robert Sherman wrote the music for this film (their first non-Disney musical). Roald Dahl, author of many children's stories including James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was co-writer of Chitty, which blends fantasy and adventure in a whimsical movie musical that has been captivating children for decades.

Although the songs aren't quite as memorable as in Mary Poppins, the story may leave even more of an impression on kids than the Disney hallmark and excite them to a greater degree. It's not a perfectly cut film, but it's the stuff of the children's wildest fantasies. Young viewers may drift to sleep after the climax, as the love story between Caractacus and Truly concludes, but they'll have a feast of visions to dream of for years to come. For DVD extras that really add value, get the Special Edition, which was made with Van Dyke's involvement and includes interviews, games, and many other fun features.