In 1968, I was a little tyke of about five. I had lots of favorite movies, “Mary Poppins”, “Doctor Dolittle” (the good one with Rex Harrison), “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”, The Sound of Music” and the one with the unlikely title of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” I knew all the words to all the songs of all these movies, though I’d be hard-pressed to remember them all now. These were all movies of imagination, made in a time where good story telling meant something, as opposed to some of the supposed ‘kids’ movies you see today. The films were colorful and lively, and their humor wasn’t dependent on crude bodily functions. “Mary Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” were two of my favorites, mainly because of Dick Van Dyke.

In my book, he was amongst Hollywood’s most talented performers, joining the ranks of Danny Kaye, Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor. These guys could do it all. They could act, sing and dance circles around just about anyone, and handle both dramatic and comedic roles with ease. I can’t think of a single actor working today who shows a tenth of the talent and diversity any of these performers had in their prime.

When I have conversations about these films, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” tends to be the one I hear the least about. For some reason many of my friends claim not to like it that much and I can’t imagine why. Granted the story and music may not be as perfect as that of some of the other family films of the time, but it is no less entertaining, carried along by the talented cast, terrific sets and colorful costumes.

If you’re a young’n and know little about, or (God forbid) have never heard of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, let me clue you in. The story revolves around a young inventor by the name of Caractacus Potts (Van Dyke) who lives with his two children, Jeremy and Jemima. He tinkers with an old abandoned 1900s racecar and soon has on his hands one amazing automobile. It can go almost anywhere, by land, sea and air. He names it Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, after the sound the car makes. Soon Potts and his children are off on adventures, followed by the evil Baron Bomburst, who is bent on making the car his own!!

There is much to love about this movie, from Van Dyke’s earnest performance to the late comedian Benny Hills’s lovable Toymaker. Now MGM, is releasing a special 2-disc DVD that delivers far more than just the movie. The fist disc contains two version of the movie. One is an all-new high definition Widescreen that looks absolutely beautiful, with no grain or specks of any kind to be found. The other is presented in Full Screen, for those who are so inclined. There is also a sing-along feature for the kids (and the parents when the kids are out of the room) and a trailer for a stage version of the film (!!!!). Oddly enough, I’m a Broadway Musical lover and somehow I missed the fact that there was a stage version running on London’s West End, let alone the fact that it was coming to Broadway next year! (Gotta check those online airfare rates!)

Disc two favors those of us who just can’t get enough background information about our favorite films. First up is a lengthy documentary hosted by Van Dyke, which is a real treat for fans. (Hmmm, what would we be called? Chitty Bangers??) This is followed by a featurette where the car’s current owner gives us an up close look. If you happen to like the songs, you can hear some early demos by the Sherman Brothers.

Younger kids who are learning to read can enjoy the onscreen read-along storybook, or they can check out the enclosed printed storybook. These are but a few of the extra features MGM has included on this new DVD set. The list goes on and on.

There were a lot of things I forgot about “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, as it had been many years since I had sat down to watch it. Embarrassingly, one of the most interesting little facts that had skipped my memory was that none other than Ian Fleming, the brilliant author behind all those James Bond stories, wrote the original book. I had even forgotten about Benny Hill being in the movie (for shame…).

Though some may not agree with me, I still think “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” is a wonderful family movie. Either way, this DVD set is a shoo-in on my ‘must-have’ list for 2003.

(Hint to parents: Don’t be put off by the film’s 2 hour and 25 minute length. If you don’t think your kids interest can be held that long, just break it into two nights.)

Directed by: Ken Hughes
Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Frobe, Anna Quayle, Benny Hill,
Extras: 32-page storybook, Sing-along feature, Chitty The Musical sneak peek, "Remembering Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with Dick Van Dyke", "A Fantasmagorical Motorcar" featurette, Read-along featurette, Sherman Brothers song demos, "The Ditchling Tinkerer" featurette, Original Dick Van Dyke interview, The Potts Children's featurette, Vintage advertising gallery, 2 interactive games, DVD-ROM printable coloring pages
Specifications: Widescreen (2.20:1) Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions, Full Screen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: MGM
Release Date: 11/25/2003
Region 1
MPAA Rating: G
Website

We'll give Chitty Chitty Bang Bang a B.