7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.6 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.4 |
A wacky inventor creates a super-car that can float as well as fly, and, along with his children, uses it to rescue his kidnapped father from an evil prince.
Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Fröbe, Anna QuayleFamily | 100% |
Comedy | 60% |
Musical | 48% |
Imaginary | 8% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.20:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.20:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
Italian: DTS 5.1
Japanese: DTS 5.1
Russian: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
Czech: Dolby Digital 2.0
Polish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Thai: Dolby Digital 2.0
Japanese only available on Japanese menu settings
English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
When I told my wife last night that we would be watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, she told me it was one of her childhood favorites. She also said there’s an evil witch in the film who abducts children and turns them into wooden dolls. There isn’t. There is, however, a creepy long- nosed “Child Catcher,” but he’s a male, and he doesn’t turn anyone into wood, although the main character do, at one point, disguise themselves as Jack-in-the-Box figures. It all goes to show that the things we loved as kids get distorted in our memories when we’re older, like how a childhood home seems so small today, even though it looked like a palatial mansion at age five. That’s why it’s often so painful to revisit once-beloved films years later, only to realize that, well, they’re not quite as mindblowingly amazing as we thought they were. Such is the case with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which simply doesn’t hold up to adult sensibilities. It’s scatterbrained and overlong, a helter-skelter amalgam of madcap antics, mushy songs, and set-pieces that are all spectacle and little substance. The memories we associate with watching the film are much better than the film itself. Still, there’s a certain value in this kind of nostalgia, and as far as kids’ movies go, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is far better than most of the puerile nonsense that gets dribbled out into theaters these days. It may not be an unqualified classic, but it’s kooky and fun and fully capable of blowing the minds of a new generation of youngsters.
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you!"
Films shot in 70mm look absolutely amazing on Blu-ray. They just do. (See The Sound of Music, 2001: A Space Odyssey, or Baraka for proof.) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is no exception. Filmed using the Super Panavision 70 format—which delivered a huge fine-grained negative—the musical has been given a fantastic restorative overhaul, resulting in a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that displays a remarkable amount of fine detail. Check out the weft of Dick Van Dyke's corduroy coat. Examine the craggy rocks by the seaside. Look at the surfaces of the titular car, the minutiae of the sets, the texture of the actors' faces. I could go on and on. Color is gorgeous as well, with bright primaries, creamy skin tones, and a sense of dense saturation overall. All of this is aided by deep blacks, perfect shadow delineation—no crush here—and tight contrast, giving the picture plenty of depth and presence. Furthermore, grain is thin and natural, the print is spotless, and there's no evidence of any unnecessary digital tinkering. I caught a few instances of moiré-ish shimmer, most noticeably on the close parallel lines of Chitty's front grill, but otherwise there are no overt film-to-digital related distractions. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang doesn't look quite as spectacular as The Sound of Music—the other 70mm film being released this week—but the image is excellent throughout. I'd even say very nearly perfect.
Like The Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's soundtrack has been updated to a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround mix, and the results are outstanding. As a musical, most of the audio emphasis here is understandably on the songs, and they sound great. The score is rich and defined, and the 7.1 presentation allows the music to emerge from every corner of your home theater, with plenty of space for each instrument to sound clear and distinct. From the opening, which has motorcars zipping in circles around and around—literally making loops through the rear channels— it's clear that the surround speakers are going to get a lot of play. And, no surprise, many of the cross-channel movements involve Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, bang banging this way and that through the soundfield. The carnival scene even features a good deal of ambience, with barkers hawking their wares, music lulling in the background, and the murmur of the crowd. There are a few instances when dialogue—sung or spoken—seems a bit low in the mix, but never to the point where it's unintelligible. Most of the time, the singing is bright and clear.
Sing-Along (1080p, 44:16 total)
Activate this mode and you'll get karaoke-style lyrics across the bottom of the screen during the film. You can also select and play the songs
individually.
Music Machine (1080p, 44:16)
Basically, Sing-Along mode, but without the scrolling lyrics.
Chitty Chitty's Bang Bang Driving Game (1080p)
A simple interactive driving game, where you use the left and right buttons on your remote to steer Chitty Chitty Bang Bang through four different
courses.
Toot Sweet Toots Musical Maestro (1080p)
Another game, only this one can be played during the film itself. Different colors sweets appear on the screen, and you have to memorize the order
and then press the corresponding red, green, blue, or yellow buttons on your remote.
Remembering Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with Dick Van Dyke (SD, 25:58)
Van Dyke sits down to reminisce about the making of the film, interspersed with many, many clips from the movie.
A Fantasmagorical Motorcar (SD, 9:44)
Pierre Picton, owner of two of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang motorcars, discusses how he got involved with the film.
Sherman Brothers' Demos (audio only, 30:20)
A rare demo tape of Richard and Robert Sherman performing some of their still-in-development songs for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Vintage Featurettes
A collection of vintage promos, profiles, and and interviews.
What a week for family friendly musicals, right? Both The Sound of Music and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang have been remarkably re- mastered, and while the latter isn't quite as universally popular as the former, it's been given just as much restorative love and attention, with a new high definition transfer and lossless 7.1 surround sound. The film is much longer than it needs to be, but it's goofy and fun, and if you enjoyed it as a child, chances are, your kids will like it too. Recommended!
DVD Packaging
1968
1968
1968
1968
MGM 90th Anniversary
1968
VUDU Offer
1968
1968
1968
50th Anniversary Edition
1964
2011
2014
1965-1985
1961
2009
2018
2007
2005
35th Anniversary Collector's Edition
1983-1987
1984
Special Edition
1971
1963
1971
35th Anniversary Edition
1977
2007
1979
2011
2014
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
2010