Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

67% of critics liked it
(24 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(321,643 ratings)

One of the stars of Walt Disney's Mary Poppins, Dick Van Dyke, is re-united with that film's composer and lyricist, Richard M.Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, in this big budget and bloodless children's fantasy musical, based on the children's book by James Bond author Ian Fleming. Van Dyke plays… More One of the stars of Walt Disney's Mary Poppins, Dick Van Dyke, is re-united with that film's composer and lyricist, Richard M.Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, in this big budget and bloodless children's fantasy musical, based on the children's book by James Bond author Ian Fleming. Van Dyke plays Caractacus Potts, a failed inventor who lives in a big house with his two children -- Jemima Heather Ripley and Jeremy Adrian Hall -- and eccentric father Lionel Jeffries. Potts has to raise 30 shillings so his children can buy a broken-down racing car from the junkyard. After a disastrous attempt to sell his invention of whistling sweets to Lord Scrumptious (James Robertson-Justice), the local candy maker, he finally gets enough money for the car by doing a Dick Van Dyke dance routine at the county fair. Potts takes the car and miraculously transforms the vehicle into a shiny new car named Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. While on a picnic with the children and Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes), Lord Scrumptious' beautiful daughter, Potts concocts a fantasy tale about the magical powers of the car, which can now float on water and fly. In the tale, Baron Bomburst (Gert Frobe) wants the car for himself and kidnaps the automobile and the inventor. But Bomburst captures Grandpa by mistake along with the wrong car, so Potts, Truly, and the children have to enlist Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on a rescue mission to Bomburst's lair to save Grandpa. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: G, 2 hr. 22 min.
Directed By: Ken Hughes
Written By: Roald Dahl, Ken Hughes, Richard Maibaum
Genres: Kids & Family, Musical & Performing Arts, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Dec 18, 1968 Wide
On DVD: Nov 10, 1998
Studio: United Artists

Critic Reviews

Renata Adler, New York Times
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.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
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.
Common Sense Media Editors, Common Sense Media
A fantastical car story custom made for kids.
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews
Ask yourself, would you rather show your kids Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or Marmaduke? I don't want to live in a world where the answer is the latter. [Blu-ray]
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
ultimately all in good fun, although it's hard to shake entirely the sense that something is slightly askew, which is probably the point
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
I'm old enough to have seen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang during its original theatrical run, and I've just about recovered.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was made in Britain for American consumption, but its magic works on kids and adults of any nationality.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Has become modern classic, but falls so short of great.
Tom Milne, Time Out
Ken Adam's sets are inventive, but the special effects are shoddy, the songs instantly forgettable, and the leisurely length an exquisite torture.
James Plath, Reel.com
an over-the-top musical with forgettable tunes (apart from the title song)
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Time has not enhanced its doubtful charms.
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)
Tedium incarnate.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
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.

Read all 13 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

John M

A family fun fest!!!
Mister C

FROM THE VAULTS OF CLASSIC CHILDREN'S MOVIES: Comes the 1968 comedy-adventure musical "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". Dick Van Dyke(who was Oscar nominated for Best Actor for Walt Disney's Mary Poppins)re-unites with musical composers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B.… More
FROM THE VAULTS OF CLASSIC CHILDREN'S MOVIES: Comes the 1968 comedy-adventure musical "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". Dick Van Dyke(who was Oscar nominated for Best Actor for Walt Disney's Mary Poppins)re-unites with musical composers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman for this huge big budget spectacle that was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli(of the James Bond 007 movies),and based on a series of children's books by Ian Fleming(who was also the author of the James Bond novels),while literary giant Roald Dahl wrote the screenplay. Need more convincing? The film combines annoyingly catchy tunes(including its theme song,along with classic standards like "Truly Scrumptious","Too Sweets", and "Hushabye Mountain")tweety sweets,and a magical mysterious car that guides Professor Potts(Dick Van Dyke),his children and lady companion(Sally Ann Howes)on exciting fairy tale adventures set in Victorian England. Check out the star-studded cast ranging from Gert Forbe, Lionel Jeffries, Anna Quayle, Robert Helpmann(THE CHILD CATCHER!),and the hilarious British comedian Benny Hill. Not to mention this was a star studded spectacle presented in full Super Panavision 70MM and Technicolor with a running time of over 153 minutes.
Directors C

Despite the fact it is excruciatingly long and the songs were so bad that it drags the film down. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a mostly entertaining family film. I'd call it a minor classic in the fantasy genre.Also, I found that the children stars were more annoying than charming… More
Despite the fact it is excruciatingly long and the songs were so bad that it drags the film down. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a mostly entertaining family film. I'd call it a minor classic in the fantasy genre.Also, I found that the children stars were more annoying than charming and that the magical feeling promised didn't come of as the film makers probably planned. But its colourful and its mostly fun. For mainstream audiences i'd say its entertaining but easily forgettable but for all you oldie fans you'll adore this.
Alexander D

Good
Lady D

A childhood favourite and a Classic Musical with an adventurous journey. From the whacky inventions to the dreamlike journey, it's a film filled with familiar songs to all with some memorable dance scenes.
AJ V

This is possibly the worst kids movie of the 60s. The story is stupid, there's only one good actor, and it's just too predictably stupid I couldn't stand it.
erika b

really fun and really funny
danny d

classic family tale full of catchy music and adventure.
Anthony L

Great film, Dick Van Dyke is brilliant as Mr. Potts as are the rest of the colourful cast. The songs are particularly good too!
Thomas B

responsible for one of the most catchy songs in film and a really different concept, chitty chitty bang bang is the stuff of children's dreams
Jennifer D

I have a weakness for Dick Van Dyke. I love him. Hahah!
Julie B

These songs will get stuck in your head forever. Not even the Sanford and Son theme song can get them out.
Dean M

This musical extravaganza, based on a book by Ian Fleming, is fantastic as I believe it's for the children's audience when I was a kid. I still love this musical and fantasy-adventure of the wacky inventor and his family in a car flying on the journey since <i>Mary… More
This musical extravaganza, based on a book by Ian Fleming, is fantastic as I believe it's for the children's audience when I was a kid. I still love this musical and fantasy-adventure of the wacky inventor and his family in a car flying on the journey since <i>Mary Poppins</i>.
Robert C

Childhood classic. TRUELY scrumptious!
Curtis L

It has a few moments, but for the most part it's pretty terrible.
Stephen M

Too long, terrible special effects, no really great songs ("Toot Sweets", for God's sake). On the plus side: a good cast - even the kids - especially Robert Helpmann, unforgettable as the Child-Catcher. "Lollipops!"
Candy R

Love the music and adventure.
Lafe F

This movie is one of my favorites, having a similar feel to "Mary Poppins" and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", it's a massive kids' musical fantasy adventure. Most of the songs are good. The title car has a great song associated with it. The… More
This movie is one of my favorites, having a similar feel to "Mary Poppins" and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", it's a massive kids' musical fantasy adventure. Most of the songs are good. The title car has a great song associated with it. The tracking shots as they drive through the English countryside singing it is breathtaking. Unfortunately, there's a handful of slow and boring songs which bring the movie action to a standstill, so I'd suggest fast-forwarding through those on a re-watch. The scenery and production design is astounding. Some of the settings and characters are as creepy as "Babes in Toyland" but "Chitty" more intelligent. Written by Ian Fleming, it's as if he adapted one of his James Bond adventures into a childrens' bedtime story. There's some nifty parallels to England and Germany's conflict in the second World War. Being a horror fan, I must mention the freaky "Child Catcher", who must rate as one of the top-10 scariest movie villains ever. Kids might have nightmares about him. There are fun appearances by British comic Benny Hill as the toymaker, Desmond Llewelyn (James Bond's gadgetman "Q" character) and Gert Frobe (James Bond's "Goldfinger" character). Studios couldn't get away with such an overblown kid's musical these days. I'd love to see a slicker version with a modern sports car, hip kids, island terrorists and a Michael-Jackson-inspired Child Catcher; could you imagine?
Jason S

The original super car!
Bryce I

Classic family tale. While not being a masterpiece, it is the perfect kids story. Filled with catchy tunes, and interesting concepts. It's popcorn entertainment at most, but it's original.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts

            Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious

            Lionel Jeffries as Grandpa Potts

            Gert Fröbe as Baron Bomburst

            Anna Quayle as Baroness Bomburst

            Benny Hill as Toymaker

            James Robertson Justice as Lord Scrumptious

            Robert Helpmann as Child Catcher

            Heather Ripley as Jemima

            Barbara Windsor as Blonde

            Davy Kaye as Admiral

            Bernard Spear as Second Spy

            Alexander Dore as First Spy

            Stanley Unwin as Chancellor

            Peter Arne as Capt.of Guard

            Desmond Llewelyn as Coggins

            Victor Maddern as Junkman

            Arthur Mullard as Big Man

            G. Ross Parker as Chef

            Gerald Campion as Minister

            Felix Felton as Minister

            Monte de Lyle as Minister

            Totti Truman Taylor as Duchess

            Larry Taylor as Lieutenant

            Max Bacon as Orchestra Leader

            Max Wall as Inventor

            John Heawood
            
            Michael Darbyshire
            
            Gerald Taylor as Inventors

            John Baskcomb as Chef

            Adrian Hall as Jeremy Potts

            Richard Wattis as Secretary at Sweet Factory

            Kenneth Waller
            
            Sadie Corre as Field Worker
See full cast