Parent reviews for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Seeing that Dick Van Dyke is one of the main characters, I was expecting a dynamic film similar to Mary Poppins. I was a little disappointed that the music fell flat and the story had some strange scenes that didn't really add to the main plotline. The main review page mentions a kiss between the two main characters as the only "sexy stuff" in the movie. But there is a scene in Act Two between the Baron and Baroness where she is only wearing a corset and pantyhose and the Baron is trying to kill her by various means throughout the song. My 3yo child became scared several times throughout the film during suspenseful moments.

If you're expecting a "Mary Poppins" experience, this isn't it. It's not as polished or catchy. Described as "if Mary Poppins and 007 had a love child it would be Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and at times during the movie you get a sense of that. As a child, I watched this several times as a child and wanted my kids to enjoy the whimsical, fantastical automobile adventure. The opening scene was enthralling for my kids to see the crazy and death-defying shenanigans of yesteryear automobile racing. Dick Van Dyke does his predictable yet loveable jigs and playful dances beside his beautiful lady counterpart (Sally Ann Howes). The children (Adrian Hall and Heather Ripley) are adorable, with old-world charm and innocence. Two scene caveats though, #1- There is a scene where the Baroness is dressed in a corset and the Baron is trying to kill her using booby traps. It was one of those "hang-on... is this a family movie?" moments (perhaps it's one of those times when the minds of Ian Fleming (writer) and Roald Dahl (screenwriter) didn't quite mesh so well). #2- the long-nosed Childcatcher (Robert Helpmann) was a little too scary for my 5 yo girl (who doesn't like suspense). However, that is the intention of the character and young kids are not meant to like him. Overall, it is a "family movie" for the whole family. If you haven't seen this vintage gem yet, book it for your next family movie night. It's good for children to see talented, real (i.e. not CGI) actors/actresses who can sing, dance and act. I'm happy this classic had the same effect on me decades ago as it did on my kids today. They were talking about the movie and even singing some of the catchier songs one week ( Chitty Chitty Bang Band theme song, "Me Ol' Bamboo", "Music Box Dance", "Toot Sweets", "Truly Scrumptious"). At almost 2hours and 30mins, press "play" earlier rather than later in the evening.

Great classic! Lots of fun! Must watch

I love the movie now and loved it as a kid but the child snatcher is pretty scary for our 6 year old. Being stolen away from parents is an awful thought for our sensitive guy. Also, having lived in a community where a child was abducted, it is too much for our family at this stage. The grandpa, songs, car scenes, adventure is great. Six years old is just too young for us.

It's a long movie and I thought my kids would be bored but they just love it and ask to see it over and over again. Even the 2 year old loves it and we always dance along with the songs. Some parts have "bad guys" but I think unless they are really sensitive they should enjoy it.

The movie is long and slow, and much of it is spent in a confusing story-within-story. Those parts can be spooky and scary and I'm hoping my kids (ages 4-9) don't end up with nightmares about the kid catcher, or the bad guy who threatens to kill one of the characters. There are some sweet scenes, but my kids found them boring. Definitely a pass!

This movie is clearly to ride the gravy train of the brilliance of Dick Vandyke. The first half of the movie is okay with fun songs that my 7 year old son thinks are fantastic. The latter half of the movie with the child catcher (a character that apparently is not even in the book)... which I did not remember and made me wonder if I actually had ever watched this movie when I was a kid. This is when I sat down and watched it more closely. The second half of this movie is to say the least is creepy. I find it odd that in all these reviews no-one mentions that there is an entire scene in which the baroness is trying to seduce her husband while he is trying to Kill her. Of course if your standing in the kitchen making dinner “smoochy face” probably sounds cute as back ground music.