TL;DR: The flying car is back. With a high-profile Amazon remake in the works from the director of Matilda the Musical, this 1968 classic is trending again. It’s whimsical, it’s musical, and it features arguably the most terrifying villain in cinematic history.
Quick Links:
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968 Movie) – The classic Dick Van Dyke musical.
- Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang by Ian Fleming – The original (and very different) book.
- Matilda the Musical – For a modern taste of the director’s style.
- Mary Poppins – The natural "next watch" for Van Dyke fans.
If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you know that "brain rot" is the current parenting buzzword. We’re all trying to steer our kids away from the 24/7 loop of Skibidi Toilet and toward something with, you know, a plot.
Enter the flying car.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is having a major moment. Between the announcement that Amazon MGM is reimagining the story for a theatrical release and a massive stage tour currently hitting the UK, the "fine four-fendered friend" is officially back in the zeitgeist.
But if your memory of this movie is just Dick Van Dyke dancing in a field, you’re forgetting the part that gave us all nightmares: the Child Catcher. Before you hit play on a family movie night, let’s break down why this classic is worth the 145-minute runtime and how to handle the spooky bits.
At its core, it’s a story about a widowed, eccentric inventor named Caractacus Potts who rescues a broken-down Grand Prix car. Through some "fine-tuned" magic, the car begins to fly and float, leading the family (and the aptly named Truly Scrumptious) into a high-stakes adventure to the fictional land of Vulgaria.
What most parents don't realize is that this story is a weird, wonderful hybrid of two creative giants:
- Ian Fleming: Yes, the guy who created James Bond wrote the original Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang book. That’s why the car has gadgets and "villains" feel like 007 rejects.
- Roald Dahl: Dahl co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 movie. If you’ve ever wondered why the movie feels slightly "Ohio" (aka weird/creepy) compared to the book, it’s because Dahl added the Child Catcher.
In an era of fast-paced YouTube edits, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang offers something different: Grandeur.
Kids are naturally drawn to the "impossible machine" trope. Whether it’s Minecraft redstone builds or LEGO engineering, the idea of a car that transforms into a boat or a plane is timeless.
Plus, the music by the Sherman Brothers (the same geniuses behind The Jungle Book) is incredibly catchy. Your six-year-old will be humming the title track for a week—which, honestly, is a massive upgrade from whatever viral sound is currently looping on Roblox.
Ages 6+ The original film is a masterpiece of practical effects and set design. However, it is long. We’re talking two and a half hours. If your kids are used to 10-minute Bluey marathons, you might want to treat this as a two-part event.
- The Vibe: Whimsical, musical, and eventually quite dark.
- The "Watch Out": The second half takes place in Vulgaria, a country where children are literally illegal. It’s a heavy concept for very young kids.
Ages 7-10 If you want to skip the singing and get straight to the "Bond for kids" action, the book is the way to go. It’s much more grounded in a heist/adventure plot involving gangsters and secret bunkers. There is no Child Catcher here, making it a safer bet for sensitive readers.
Ages 8+ Why am I recommending this? Because Matthew Warchus, the director of this film, is the one Amazon tapped to helm the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang remake. Watching this will give you a great sense of how he handles "Dahl-esque" darkness with high-energy musical numbers. It’s a perfect modern companion.
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Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. The Child Catcher is the "final boss" of stranger danger. He luring kids with lollipops and "free cherry pie" before trapping them in a cage.
- Under 6: Probably too scary. The visual of him sniffing the air to "smell" children is nightmare fuel.
- Ages 6-9: This is the sweet spot, but be ready to talk about it. It’s a great (if blunt) jumping-off point for conversations about online safety and "tricky people".
- Ages 10+: They’ll likely find him "cringe" or campy, but they’ll appreciate the tension.
While the movie is rated G, modern parents should be aware of a few "dated" elements:
- Gender Roles: Truly Scrumptious is a great character, but the romance subplot is very 1960s.
- Visual Terror: As mentioned, the Child Catcher is legitimately frightening. If your child is prone to nightmares, maybe screen those scenes first.
- Smoking: Like most films from this era, you’ll see the occasional pipe or cigar.
Learn more about how to navigate "scary" content in G-rated movies
The upcoming remake is being produced by Eon Productions—the same people who make the James Bond movies. This suggests we might be getting a version that leans closer to Ian Fleming’s original vision (more gadgets, more international intrigue) combined with the musical flair of the 1968 film.
Introducing your kids to the original now is a great way to build "media literacy." When the new one comes out, you can compare the two. Did they make the car look different? Is the new Child Catcher scarier than the old one? (Is that even possible?)
If your kids are weirded out by the "old-fashioned" look of the movie, lean into the "making of" magic.
- The Car was Real: Tell them that the car in the movie actually worked (mostly). It wasn't all CGI like The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
- The Inventor Mindset: Talk about Caractacus Potts as the original "maker." He fails constantly before he succeeds. In a world of instant gratification apps, showing a character who spends years tinkering with "junk" to make something beautiful is a solid lesson.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang isn't just "brain rot" from the 60s. It’s a high-budget, high-imagination adventure that rewards a long attention span. Yes, the Child Catcher is creepy, but he’s also a classic cinematic villain that every kid should probably know—if only so they understand the reference when he inevitably becomes a meme again in 2026.
Next Steps:
Check out our guide on the best "Old School" movies that actually hold up for modern kids