Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a true classic (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (DVD))

Member Name: wishywalshy

Product:	Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (DVD)
Date:	11/11/00 (211 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quality of actual film longevity

Disadvantages: very long

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a true classic.
A childrens classic film in which the magical car Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is resurrected from a wreck to a beautiful classic car.
Running for a lengthy 2 hours and 20 minutes this film is released by MGM and is available in most video shops for rental, or as is the norm available to watch at some time over the festive period.
It costs under a tenner and is still a firm family favourite.

We have had the video for many years now and I am amazed that the quality is still as good as the day that we bought it.

It features a once famous racing car that has won many races and falls by the wayside after a crash, which leaves it wrecked.
Jeremy and Jemima Potts discover the car and have fabulous imaginary adventures in it. But as the yard owner is offered 30 shillings for the car, and times are hard, he accepts the offer and the car is destined for the scrap heap.
In desperation, Jeremy and Jemima promise the yard owner that their eccentric inventor father Caractus Potts(Dick Van Dyke) will buy the car for them.

Potts and his family live in an old mill with his father, in which there is a multitude of amazing but very impractical inventions.
The children almost cause an accident as Miss Scrumptious is driving past them.
She returns them to their father, where he defends their not going to school and shoes Miss Scrumptious away.

After a blinding dance routine in the travelling fairground in which the famous “Old bamboo” song is sung, Potts has sufficient money to buy the children the car.

He spends an age repairing the car and the end result is a fantastic all singing all dancing (almost) car, in which Potts takes his family to the seaside.

However en route, the Potts accidentally drive Miss Scrumptious into the lake.
The children invite Miss Scrumptious to join them on their picnic.

The trip to the seaside materialises into a ful
l blown adventure where the car can fly and float, and where the children are captured by the evil child catcher, and hidden away from the King and Queen who despise children, and have ordered that all children are banished to the cellar underneath the castle, where they are forgotten about by everyone except their parents.

Benny Hill plays the village Toymaker who hides the family from the Child catcher
by making them into Jack in the Boxes. The Child catcher uses his huge nose to detect that there are children hiding in the Toyshop somewhere, but cannot see them.
All of the adults have to go out and then the child catcher manages to lure them into his cage with Lollipops.

The car and Grandpa are captured and Grandpa is ordered to make the car fly, which of course he can’t.

Jeremy and Jemima are imprisoned in the castle and Potts and Truly masquerade as toys for the Kings birthday and manage to gain entry to the castle.

This all action film is brought to a fantastic climax as the children from the village escape and terrify the Queen and her court, who is subsequently bound and strung in a net with her husband for all to see.

Resulting in a predictable happy ending for all, the children are all reunited with their long lost parents, and Grandpa and family are together again.
As everyone awakens, the car really is in the water and they manage to start it and drive home.

This film is filled with catchy songs such as Hushabye Mountain and Toot sweets, to
The old familiar Chitty Chitty Bang Bang song, to Grow the Roses of success.
All of which are composed by the Sherman brothers, and is of equally as good quality and content of Mary Poppins the music score that brought them into the limelight.

Compiled of a star studded cast this film includes Lionel Jeffries, Barbara Windsor, Sally Ann Howes and Benny Hill, this classic film certainly deserves the U classification.

A
lovely wet day film, still enjoyed by the young and the young at heart.

I have to admit it is one of my all time favourite films. (I know sad isn’t it, I know every word to every song, even sadder!!!)

I have no hesitation in recommending it to a friend.

Summary: