Biggles: Adventures In Time [Blu-ray] [2015]

this film is a proper popcorn eighties extravaganza. leave your brain in the kitchen and enjoy. i saw it in the cinema when i was five and loved it then, it all made sense to me as i had seen back to the future already. i saw it on sky yesterday and got alot of the more adult jokes i didnt get when i was a kid. the eighties music sounds kinda funny on a world war one film but then again it was made in the eighties like highlander. peter cushing is heavy, as is neil dickson as biggles, in my humble opinion he shoulda done more films. alex hyde white is good too, and i'm surprised i haven't seen him in more films too. there are some good scenes like when the sound weapon roasts some bad guys, and some good comedy moments like when a hotel maid in the 1980s finds ferguson dressed in full ww1 military regalia with a machine gun. whoever thought of the plot is a G, to make an idea like that work is a serious acheivement! if u like ludicrous films with action and humour then this is for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Alas, a prodigious dose of nostalgia prevents me from conferring perhaps a more deserved rating on this eclectic mess of a film; not least because I cherish vivid childhood memories of seeing 'Biggles: The Movie' in the cinema back in '86 and absolutely loving it! Now though, reappraising the film in 2018 via a somewhat speculative HD transfer (more on that below) and encumbered with the inveterate cynicism that advancing age cruelly bestows upon us all, previously concealed flaws are perhaps more apparent than before. In an optimistic yet wonderfully contrived attempt to attract two utterly disparate demographics: fastidious connoisseurs of Captain W.E Johns celebrated literary hero and 1980's U.S. audiences utterly oblivious to the character, British filmmakers concocted a film in the mid-eighties that, inevitably, satisfied neither. 'Biggles' tells the story of American businessman Jim Ferguson who suddenly finds out he's the "time twin" of British WWI fighter pilot James Bigglesworth (yes really and no, me neither). Together, and with the help of Peter Cushing's aged Wing Commander Raymond, the two must destroy a secret German sound weapon that could well win them the war....even though in Ferguson's time the Germans had clearly been defeated in WW1 anyway. Yes folks, that ludicrously glaring 'paradox' of a plot hole is never acknowledged nor explained away! Of course the prospect of successfully fusing contemporary American characters with a cult British WW1 fictional hero always had a forlorn chance of commercial success yet Biggles, through a quixotic combination of blind luck and good casting/characters somehow works. Moderately speaking. Still, even by the specious standards the film sets (whilst preferably suspending one's disbelief as far as one dares) 'Biggles' is an utterly ludicrous affair from start to finish. Despite these fundamental shortcomings though the film exudes a contagiously frenetic pace, a belter of an 80's synth-drenched soundtrack and a solid cast that all tumultuously fuse together well. In fact there's genuine chemistry between Neil Dickson (perfectly cast as the titular Biggles) and Alex Hyde-White (Jim Ferguson) whilst Peter Cushing - in sadly his last film role, is always dependable. William Hootkins also shines as the affably oafish and somewhat lascivious Chuck; a character who arguably earns that accolade so rarely bestowed to the archetypal dimwitted 'comedy' sidekick: he's actually funny. But perhaps it's Biggles' rambunctious soundtrack that proves to be its greatest success. Unapologetically corny yet annoyingly infectious the score (by Jon Anderson and Stanislas) reverberates bombastically throughout the film feeling almost like a parody/tribute to the synth-drenched sound that defined the decade rather than a contemporary. The soundtrack is well worth tracking down on LP (or via an incredibly rare, semi-official release on CD) too because not all of it's gloriously ebullient numbers are present in the film. Unfortunately this Blu Ray release of 'Biggles' falls far short of (perhaps unrealistic) expectations as the transfer is detrimentally permeated by grain/noise that is, at times, excessive. And whilst this HD release furnishes the film with a significant upgrade to previous home media releases it's distractingly uneven and inconsistent picture quality does much to undermine it. Extras are all but non-existent either; comprising of just a trailer - a singular instance of the prior, extras-abundant DVD release of the film proving superior to its successor. ----------- Bottom Line: Want an injection of 80's nostalgia, a wonderfully exuberant soundtrack, a bonkers plot that makes little sense and don't consider yourself to be a sniffy connoisseur of cinema? Buy 'Biggles The Movie' and have some fun!

The Biggles books were an integral part of my childhood. Dad was the one who read to me (as Mum worked nights) and we both quickly agreed that books like The Babysitter's Club didn't hold my interest - so he started me on the adventures of James Bigglesworth, and that was that. And when I discovered there was a film? Well. The house couldn't hold my excitement. I first owned it on VHS, and then DVD - which was little more than a VHS rip. The film was ingrained into my mind as a dark, brown, fuzzy memory that I enjoy watching but never hoped to see in any kind of high definition. And then the bluray was announced, and I did dither as to whether to buy it because as much as I loved the film, I didn't need another cloudy VHS rip. I eventually decided to pre-order it, and watched it on release day yesterday. All I can say is this: if you're a fan of the film, buy this bluray. It is an absolutely fantastic transfer, one of the best I've ever seen for older films - the picture has been sharpened, lightened and cleaned up to the point where it looks like it was filmed...well, not yesterday, but the early 00's at the very latest. The aspect ratio has been 'fixed' to play as widescreen, which makes it feel like a much 'bigger' film. The audio is also much clearer. It's a barebones release - the only 'extra' is the original theatrical trailer, so hang on to your DVD for the Blue Peter episode and music videos - but it's completely worth it for the quality of the video alone. Also, just a heads up - there are no subtitles. I found the dialogue clear enough to follow, but deaf/hard of hearing customers are unfortunately shortchanged.

I'm not sure the author would have relished his fictional hero buzzing around in time, having dedicated his endeavors to combating the Huns of World War One in his Sopworth Camel; which, in fact in this film, is a Tigermoth II. But I found this film inventive and intriguing. It captured the rapore between biggles and his cronies, while applying a little humour- not that there was much to laugh about in the trenches of that war. It, of course, will never stand against the timeless classics created by W. E. Johns, but seeing it on TV, it portrayed an adventure I felt worthy of adding to my classics collection...CJB

First of all, this is not Biggles of the books by W.E. Johns. The story is more a of sci-fi, time travel adventure that seems closer to the pulp stories of G-8 by Robert Hogan. If you aren't familiar, G-8 (no other name is given), is an American intelligence operative fighting during WW 1. His stories involve all types of fantastic things, like giant vampire bats, invisibility, and zombies. This movie has little in common with the Biggles stories, which are more rooted in reality than the movie. All that being said, I like the film. It is a fun, pulpy adventure film. The Blu-ray version is quite nice, though more extras would be nice. There are a couple of interviews that are interesting. This is not an Oscar caliber film, and I doubt it was trying to be. It is a fun adventure that can take you back to something similar to the old serials from the 1930s. There are some unexplained questions that a viewer might have in regard to the "modern" character using Great War era weapons and there really is no character development. A couple of violent scenes might be traumatic for younger or very sensitive viewers but there is very little profanity and nothing sexual. Overall this is a film that I have seen several times, and always enjoy. Glad to see it on Blu-ray.

j'ai réussi à obtenir pas mal de livres de l'écrivain et son traducteur, et je suis ravi d'avoir trouvé ce film qui est excellent, quel dommage qu'on n'est même pas capable de le traduite 'in french, thank you !' ... Merci quand même, l'anglais je l'avais bien appris à l'école... 60 ans avant qu'aujourd'hui !

Peter Cushings letzter Kino-Film bietet dem britischen Horror-Urgestein einen würdigen Abgang von der Kinoleinwand. Unter John Houghs kompetenter Regie, mit dem er bereits 1971 bei dessen HAMMER-Debut "Draculas Hexenjagd" zusammen- arbeitete spielt er die tragende Nebenrolle des Wing Commander Richardson,einst Geschwaderführer eines legendären Bataillons im 1.Weltkrieg, nun kauziges Relikt aus Britanniens Vergangenheit, der einem US-Yuppie einreiben muss, dass dieser einen "Zeit-Zwilling" namens BIGGLES hat, der sich in Augenblicken grösster Gefahr seiner Hilfe bedienen darf per Zeitschlaufe, was dieser auch unverfroren tut. - Das alles ist so frisch und unverkrampft in Szene gesetzt mit exzellenten Stunts und jeder Menge britischem Humor, daß einem das Fantasy-Herz im Leibe lacht! Keine deutsche Synchro, aber besser so als eine von diesen vielen hingeschluderten "Editionen", die diesen Namen bei weitem nicht verdienen.

Muy buena película de los 80,es una serie B,pero muy entretenida

Le film est bien joué mais manque de rythme, les scènes se succèdent sans véritable cohérence, et les efefts sont un peu faibles. J'ai préféré les livres !