Rating: 
Summary: A fun family film, kiddie winkies!
Review: This attempt by United Artists to craft its own version of Mary Poppins comes oh so close. The period setting (pre-WWI England), two young kids, Dick van Dyke, and super music by the Sherman Brothers make this seem like a Disney product. However, the somewhat overlong film seems to lack the charm found in Poppins. This may be the result of adult elements subtly worked in, such as the wife-hating Baron and double entendres ("You'll find a slight squeeze on the ... an excellent safety precaution..."). The hook-wielding child catcher character is likely to be downright scary for small children. On the plus side are terrific performances by the lead and supporting characters. You will keep humming the catchy tunes in your head for hours afterwards. The movie also has lots of visual goodies, including some beautiful automobiles. The DVD is disappointing, since widescreen is not available. Despite the shortcomings, this film is worth having, at least on VHS.
Rating: 
Summary: Chitty Chitty - FUN FUN !!
Review: I kept hearing from my friends who have young children (2 - 5 year olds) that their children loved this movie, so I decided to finally buy it and check it out for my 2.5 year old son. He loves it and so do I. It has all the important components for a fun family/childrens movie: 1. The Music: It's fun and gets my son up and dancing around the room. Also the words are catchy and easy for children to learn (although Chitty can be tricky for the little ones :-) 2. Story line: It's really fun and easy to follow. Anything with a car, let alone a flying car rates high with my son. 3. Children: The children in the story are sweet and respectful. Since there is a boy and a girl not only does my son like it, but his little friend (a girl) also relates. I have a lot of "dusty" DVD's that I wish I could return, but I'm confident that you won't regret spending $'s on this one and making part of your family DVD/VHS collection.
Rating:
Summary: They Finally Made a DVD that Has a Widescreen Version!
Review: I remember watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on TV several times in the 70's when I was a little girl and really liking it, I thought the story was interesting, the songs were cute and the acting was good. I really liked Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Heather Ripley and Adrian Hall and whenever I found out this movie was being shown on TV I would stop what I was doing and watch it. The movie did seem a bit long and I remember getting fidgety a few times but I still enjoyed the movie and would wach the whole thing. I'm glad that they finally put out a new DVD that has a widescreen version and I will have to think of either buying it or renting it. If you like movies like Mary Poppins, Willy Wonka and the Chocoate Factory, Babes in Toyland, and The Wizard of Oz then I think you will probably like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang too! I also remember as a child going to the library and borrowing a vinyal record album which was the movie's soundtrack and enjoying listening to the songs from the movie.
Rating:
Summary: CCBB - Might as Well Buy the Tape
Review: One of the purposes of the DVD is to restore a movie so it can be seen in its original theatrical release. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a great family movie musical and the DVD version is released in standard format. Someone got lazy here and it is seen on DVD as it is shown on network televsion. Its too bad, because widescreen adds so much to a movie and it would have added more to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.Note: Look for Benny Hill as the Bulgarian toymaker.
Postscript/Edit review Nov 18-03: The Special Edition DVD will be released in both fomats (Widescreen/Pan and Scan). From most of the reviews I've read of the current DVD, the complaint was that it was not released in Widescreen. Someone at MGM/UA must have heard about the complaints and rectified the situation. I originally gave the DVD (not the film itself, because this is a great film musical starring Dick Van Dyke) 2 stars, but the movie deserved 4--and please ignore the title of review. Thank you MGM/UA, Sknayfan-03!
Rating:
Summary: A Tremendous Tale
Review: It amazes me how both Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Willy Wonka have gotten blastings from some critics for having "forgettable" scores. How do you explain "The Candy Man?" or "Truly Scrumptious?" Almost everyone knows these songs, as they are well written and enjoyable. As is this movie. Set in a turn-of the century small village, apparently in England (mixed accents notwithstanding-Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has a similar problem), an eccentric inventor creates a magical car for his adoring children. An evil King gets wind of the invention, and sends spies to steal the car. They instead steal Grandfather, and Van Dyke and his children take off in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to retrieve him. Largely overlooked is the heavy World War II symbolism sprinkled throughout the film. The King who hates children represents a racist Hitler, supported by the Gestapoesque Child Catcher and spies who could easily be SS Soldiers. Watching the film with this knowledge makes for an entirely different experience, one many reviewers missed. Especially chilling is a scene near the beginning in which the spies attempt to blow up a bridge. They fail, and when the charge explodes belatedly, the smoke clears to reveal both spies frozen in a Nazi "Heil" salute. But even without this decidedly adult take on the plot, the film is extraordinarily entertaining. Great songs like "The Old Bamboo," "Toot-Sweet," and "Truly Scrumptious" will be attractive to both parents and children, and frequent use of passable, if dated special effects enhance the feel of the film. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a great film for adults and children, one you'll enjoy watching frequently.
Rating: 
Summary: Good film, bad packaging
Review: Please read this review to the end, because it discusses several important highs AND lows about this DVD package. It'd be unfortunate & unbalanced, if you only got half the picture. 1) The main DVD (1 of 2) has the widescreen version of the film on one side, and the TV-square version on the other side. This format makes SO much sense, and is good value for the customer. 2) Disney, which usually overloads their VHS video and DVDs with ads, and shovels them at you BEFORE the main feature, has let their ads sit in the PROPER place, this time-- under "extras" in the DVD menu. There are LOTS of extras-- a kids' book built-in on the DVD case, and some slightly puffy ad-interviews... but generally satisying despite the happy-happy-joy-joy quality of the interviews. 3) If my copy is typical, then the plastic Disney used in the DVD is substandard. My copy of the DVD has no other signs of heavy use, but already has a PAIR of fractures extending from the center of the DVD to the silvered data-bearing surface. Repeated insertion and removal from its standard pressure/friction-fit DVD case, will cause this DVD to quickly disintegrate into an unreadable coffee-cup coaster. 4) Oh yeah-- the MOVIE. *grin* It's pure Dick Van Dyke musical. I'd love to say it's Dick Van Dyke + Julie Andrews, like Mary Poppins, but it's not. However, the Julie Andrews replacement used in this film is completely acceptable, and does a job equal to Ms. Andrews' performances, and almost as pretty onscreen.
Like the Andrews films "Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins", the childrens' performances are somewhat weak. Dick Van Dyke, however, is at the top of his game. Amazing, in someone old enough to have grey in in his hair (40 something, at this point ?) is energetic enough to do over 20 takes (by his own reporting) of the "Old Bamboo" piece, where he's required to jump over a piece of bamboo that he's holding for himself (at slightly over waist height). Good GOD, I may only know one person who can do that, even ONCE. The music is memorable, especially the "living doll" duet late in the film. The plot is predictable, and silly kids' stuff, but-- heck, this IS a kids' musical, so one can't expect a Dustin Hoffman acting level, with a Michael Moore punch and a Silence-of-the-Lambs plotline. 5) Do you REALLY want to buy a Disney film, this year ? I don't. It'd send the wrong message to them, after they've withheld distribution (through their daughter-company Miramax) on the latest Michael Moore film (Fahrenheit 9/11). Their excuse is, it'd endanger the million-dollar tax breaks they get from Bush's brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush. So, they're copping out on their contractual obligation to distribute the film that got Cannes Film Festival's top award. That ain't right. If they'd had objections, the time to raise them was when the contract wasn't yet signed. Don't support these guys. Not this year.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad Quality - DVD stops in the middle and won't play.
Review: Pretty bad quality, next time I'll order a previously viewed selection rather than Amazon's new product!
Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC VIEWING FOR YOUNG OR OLD
Review: What a treasure this movie is on DVD, finally the remastered Widescreen version is available. Presented in the 2.20 aspect ratio and comes with a new Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.
Completely marvellous and enchanting viewing for any age, the colours are superb. Not one spot or grain, forget about the negative reviews, this movie is a treasure to keep in the DVD library. It's all for fun and good entertainment, brilliant music and cinematography.
A big thank you to MGM who finally gave us this DVD Widescreen remaster with a brillaint box cover that comes with it. So bright and eye catching.
Rating:
Summary: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Not So Special Edition
Review: Well...after all the waiting, it's finally landed. I wish I could say that it's truly scrumptious, but in truth, from the ashes of disaster (the previous DVD release) grow the roses of mediocrity. Like so many DVD "special editions" of late (A Christmas Story, Willy Wonka, etc), this one is a bit short on the "special". The film itself is presented in two formats on the first disc. Both widescreen and pan & scan. The widescreen transfer is just slightly wider than the laserdisc release and the colors seem to me to be about the same, though my laserdisc is rotting and the colors are a bit compromised. It might be worth getting for the widescreen alone if you don't already have at that aspect ratio. Also on disc one is the "sing along" feature and a preview of the musical which only succeeds in demonstrating how fat Michael Ball is. Disc two (home of the real disappointments) has a conversation type "documentary" with Dick Van Dyke (and ONLY Dick Van Dyke) where he reminisces about some of the cast. Another new feature is with Pierre Picton, owner of the nicest of the on-screen cars and it's kind of a fun look at the eccentric who owns and cares for the car. There are 3 vintage featurettes, one with designer Rowland Emett which is interesting, another which is apparently a press conference with Dick Van Dyke (boring) and the last "featuring the children" (but not really). One excellent special feature (and kudos to the person responsible!), is the inclusion of more than a dozen of the Shermans original demos for the film. There are about 7 trailers for the film, both theatrical and television, but not the one which followed the film on the laserdisc version which, to me, seems like the genuine trailer. It is presented on the DVD in French, but not in English. The remainder of the special features are kiddie things like digital coloring book, inventor games, etc. I'm sure money may have been the reason for not presenting a more professional and interesting supplement. Sally Ann Howes is alive and well...I've seen her in NY. The kids, Heather Ripley and Adrian Hall, attended the premiere of the stage show in London, so they're definitely locateable. Very little is said about the locations or the production of the film. I was expecting a documentary of the caliber on MGM's Bond DVD releases given that the production company was largely the same. At least pay Dick enough to do a running commentary! Shame on you, MGM. Perhaps what disappointed me most of all is that I feel that I could have made a better effort.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Deal in Town
Review: Just received the latest 2-DVD Special Edition of this movie today (11-25-03) and I couldn't wait to watch it again. As of today, Amazon is still using the old cover art for this edition which didn't show the attractive new graphic art. What a package? MGM has outdone them again on an extremely generous offering. They have already given us the 2-DVD Special Editions of "West Side Story," "Windtalkers," and "Dances with Wolves." MGM first put out this movie on Standard Format only a few years ago. I enjoyed the original DVD very much with its bright transfer and good music. However, I always wish them to put out the ultimate widescreen edition as it's my preferred choice of watching this movie. The dream has just been answered. Just look at this package - a choice to watch this movie in either widescreen or standard format (both versions on the same disc); the whole movie has been freshly remastered; a 32-page Collectible booklet plus many other supplementary materials. All these at a very attractive price. I couldn't ask for anything more. What a steal - it's the best deal in town. One look at the picture and you have to agree that this is truly the "ultimate" edition for this movie. It's like the movie was just freshly made yesterday. I whole-heartedly recommend this 2-DVD Special Edition Set to anyone who enjoys this movie.
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