Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1968
I watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as a kid and enjoyed the amazing car, great songs and the scary child catcher. I found a copy of the blu-ray on sale and finally watched it again. There is a lot to like about the movie, but it also has plenty of flaws. The catchy music by the Sherman brothers (who wrote tons of songs for Disney) are a highlight. There are quite a few songs, though not all of them great. Since I had probably only ever watched the movie on TV, seeing it restored for blu-ray is pretty amazing. Originally captured on 70 mm film, it looks fantastic now. Also I was surprised at the high production values in recreating vintage races, some detailed sets, and a number of locations. Still, there are shots throughout the movie that don’t look quite right. And the other big problem is that parts of the movie just drag. It is definitely too long. A lot of the Vulgaria stuff doesn’t work as well as it should or is cartoonish. There are good pieces and the child catcher still strikes a nerve. The blu-ray has a nice extra where Dick Van Dyke talks about the making of the movie and gives a lot of credit to the cast and crew, offering some great insight. For instance he says the child catcher was played by an actor who had been a ballet dancer, which shows up in the light way he prances around as he lures the children out. The movie is a mixed bag, so I can’t give it the highest grade, but it has more going for it than against, so it still gets a B+.
Written: 03 Dec 2021
Owned on: Blu-ray