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

This is one of my favourite features of all time and I recall it from watching it when I was much, much younger (there are one or two, particularly one scene with a deceased enemy soldier losing an eye, which stuck in my mind for a while as particularly scary).There are great shorts on Youtube of its production (it was featured on Blue Peter) and its principle song (which is an excellent stirring eighties tune about being a hero and facing defeat), the soundtrack (a sought after cassette for collectors) and clips. These would give you an idea prior to watching or buying the movie if you like.It is the story of the character from British fiction Biggles, during the first war, and his friends, they are battling the Germans in the air and on the ground as they seek first intelligence about and then a means to defeat a German secret weapon. The use of the weapon in the first place jeopardized Biggles life, bringing his plane down, and this triggered the summoning, from across time, of a "Time Twin", the American who is the other main protagonist of the movie (reviewers have speculated this was a detail included with a view to its potential viewing audience in the US). The time travel mechanism in this movie is similar to that viewers of the popular TV show Quantum Leap will be familiar with.This movie has been criticised, I think a little unfairly, for some of the acting being poor or stilted, there are perhaps some scenes that deserve that criticism but it would be unfair over all definitely. It is also one of the last performances of Peter Cushing (some reviewers lament this and suggest it is a shame but I dont think so).There is a lot of the writing or acting, particularly that taking place in the past, which does reflect the kind of idealised depiction of soldiers and airmen that is depicted in the Biggles books (and ably lampooned in episodes of Black Adder Goes Forth which featured Rick Mail's Flash). This might be a bug bear for some but I liked it as it is balanced with what I could only say is a pretty gritty realism, war and death and killing in this movie are uncharacteristically gritty for an eighties action thriller. That said there are great moments of comic relief in it too.I think this movie has had something of a second wind in some quarters of the internet popularizing it once more, including the clips that have gone up on youtube as I mentioned. It has aged remarkably well I should say and is a brilliant example of UK film production at an actual time when it was on a serious downward tangent of sorts. For any one who becomes a super fan, as I would admit I did become, it was a shame that there was no TV series or sequels, as I hoped there would be seeing how the film ended with a cliff hanger of sorts. There were also accompanying video games for the home computers which I would say any fan would appreciate viewing too.

An old favourite, love it.

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.

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!

all of it is great

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 legendärenBataillons 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 bedienendarf per Zeitschlaufe, was dieser auch unverfroren tut. - Das alles ist so frisch und unverkrampft in Szene gesetztmit 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 Namenbei weitem nicht verdienen.

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.

Mi titulo adquirido por amazon es un bdr prensado como se dice y ya ni me molesto en ponerlo ni verificarlo es una pena lo que esta ocurriendo ultimamente con los blu ray NO Originales, penoso