Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Acceptable. Age: 6+. A Catholic review of this movie for parents.
Our review
Mr. Potts is a dad who invents silly machines. He fixes up an old race car that can float and fly. He and his children fly off to a land ruled by a mean baron, where a Child Catcher locks children in a cage. It is a long, funny musical, but the Child Catcher is creepy. A widowed father loves his children, keeps trying after every failed invention, and stands up to a tyrant. It is light, long and silly, with no faith content. The one thing to prepare for is the Child Catcher, who cages children. Common Sense Media and the IMDb guide both warn he may frighten young viewers.
For parents
G, and Common Sense Media says six and up. Lumen says Kids & Up, and preview the Child Catcher for anyone under six or easily scared. He pushes crying children into a caged wagon. It is a good opening to talk about strangers. Other things to frame: the Baron tries several times to kill his wife, played as slapstick, with a gun and a falling stake. The Baroness dances in old-fashioned underclothes in a provocative way. Guests smoke and drink at the Baron's party. Nobody is hurt or killed. At nearly two and a half hours it is long for small children. Ask: why did Mr. Potts help children who were not his own? Why is a land ruled by a baron like that a sad place? What does the father do each time an invention fails?