I didn’t always connect with this musical when I was younger, but my perspective seems to be shifting now that I'm older. There are definitely some corny parts, however the actors have a real spark together, and combined with some wonderfully memorable – and often touching – songs written by the Sherman twins, it makes for a pretty entertaining story. The Potts family resides in a run-down farmhouse; they include Grandfather (Lionel Jeffries), the well-intentioned but clumsy inventor father "Caractacus" (Dick Van Dyke), and the children "Jeremy" (Adrian Hall) and "Jemima" (Heather Ripley). Fortunately, one day the kids narrowly avoid being hit by "Truly" (Sally Ann Howes), the daughter of wealthy candy maker "Lord Scrumptious" (James Robertson Justice). She might be able to help the father earn some money from her father using his sweets that also function as pan pipes. In the meantime, the family manages to retrieve an old wreck from a local garage, and then suddenly, here comes our famous vehicle. It can drive, it can transform into an airplane, a hovercraft – in fact, it can do almost everything except brew tea. This becomes a necessary prize for the child-hating "Baron Bomburst" (Gert Fröbe - who fully embraces the story), so the family must struggle to prevent their car, and themselves, from falling into his evil grasp. Ian Fleming shows considerable creativity here, and Van Dyke showcases his diverse talents in an appealing way. Howes occasionally pushes her vocals too far, but the nearly two and a half hours that this story unfolds really do pass quickly. The Oscar-winning "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," the charming "Hushabye Mountain,” “Me Ol’ Bamboo,” and Jeffries' fun performance of "Posh!" as he is gradually submerged in his outhouse all contribute greatly to this vibrant and cheerful collection of beautifully shot adventures. Perhaps it’s best appreciated by adults? It certainly didn't resonate with me when I was a child!

Source on TMDB