Ian Fleming is widely known as the author of the original James Bond novels and Albert R. Broccoli is the well-known producer of the film series based on said books. Apart from hard-edged secret agent stories, the pair are also responsible for a very popular and much loved film from 1968 starring Dick Van Dyke. Fleming originated the story in his 1964 children’s book, which Ken Hughes and Roald Dahl used as the basis for their screenplay that became a Broccoli produced film. The result is a highly imaginative children’s film that is fondly remembered by one generation and a curious discovery by kids since its original release. The film runs nearly two and a half hours with a short intermission in the middle. The first half sets up the characters and the situations they are in while the second half is a part fantastical, part whimsical tale that gets more surreal as it unwinds. Threaded throughout the narrative is a magical car, which comes to be known as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, due to the sounds it makes. If it all sounds a little far out there, consider these two things – 1968 and Raold Dahl.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has been released a few time on DVD over the years, but this is the first time that it has been made available on Blu-ray. Fortunately, MGM has released this in a combo pack so if you’ve never owned it or if you haven’t yet gone Blu, you can get a nice little package with versions for either format. I have none of the previous releases to compare this to, but this DVD looks pretty perfect, especially considering that this is a forty-two year old film. A lot of care seems to have gone into making this worthy of high definition. Everything is vibrant and clear with no noticeable artifacting. Dust and scratches have been removed so nothing distracts from the viewing experience. most of the sound is up front, but there is plenty that shows up in surround to make it a rich experience. The only extras on the DVD are an option to sing-along with the songs in the movie and a trailer/advert for Chitty the Musical (featuring Brian Blessed and Richard O’Brien!). There are many more extras available on the Blu-ray disc, including vintage featurettes and a terrific retrospective with the always cheerful Dick Van Dyke. There are even demos of the songs written by the songwriters Richard and Robert Sherman.
Out on November 2, this is a combo set you will definitely want to pick up, even though it does force you into the Blu-ray realm if you want to take full advantage of the extras. Definitely worth your money and a viewing treat for the whole family.
