Here's the truth: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a cultural touchstone that many Gen X and Boomer parents remember fondly, but it's a ROUGH watch for modern kids. At 144 minutes with 1968 pacing, it feels interminable—musical numbers drag, plot meanders, and you'll hear 'how much longer?' multiple times.

Then there's the Child Catcher, who remains one of cinema's most disturbing villains in a supposedly family-friendly film. He's a predator figure who lures children with candy, captures them in a net, and locks them in cages while cackling. This isn't 'fun scary'—it's legitimately traumatic, and the tonal shift from whimsical flying car to child abduction is jarring.

The imaginative elements ARE genuinely creative, and Dick Van Dyke's charm shines through when the script allows it. But unless you're committed to showing your kids classic musicals (and prepared to fast-forward through the scary bits and possibly entire musical numbers), there are better ways to spend 2.5 hours of family movie night. This is more 'I suffered through it as a kid so you should too' territory than 'timeless classic everyone will love.'