Johnny and the Bomb (2006) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Dermot Boyd

Writers:

Terry Pratchett (novel) and
Peter Tabern (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 January 2006 (UK)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

If you could go back in time, could you change history?

Plot:

Based on the book by Terry Pratchett, the adventure begins for thirteen-year-old Johnny Maxwell and...

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Bomb | Trolley | Nazi | Spy

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Roy Brandon	...	Home Guard
Anthony Bowers	...	PC Gallagher
Zoë Wanamaker	...	Mrs. Tachyon
Scott Kay	...	Bigmac
Lucien Laviscount	...	Yo-Less
George MacKay	...	Johnny Maxwell
Kyle Herbert	...	Wobbler
Samantha Seager	...	Carol Maxwell
Frank Finlay	...	Tom Maxwell
Jazmine Franks	...	Kirsty
Sally Sheridan	...	Staff Nurse
Holly Grainger	...	Rose Bushell
Beatrice Kelley	...	Mrs. Wilkinson
John Henshaw	...	Councillor Seeley
Felicity Montagu	...	Mildred Seeley

Also Known As:

Terry Pratchett's Johnny and the Bomb (Australia) (DVD title)

Runtime:

120 min (3 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

South Wales, Wales, UK

Company:

Childsplay Productions

Trivia:

Matthew Beard, who portrays Young Tom Maxwell also portrayed the main character Tom in 'An Angel for May (2002)', a movie very similar to this one. Tom was a modern boy who found himself going back in time to England during World War II.

Movie Connections:

Follows "Johnny and the Dead" (1995)

Excellent Kid's Movie

Very watchable kid's movie about traveling in time to do a good deed, and the problems you might run into along the way. The kid's are amusing and well intentioned, the story is well done, the production values are high.

I watched this with my 7-year-old son, who took time off from planning the overthrow of a world ruled by adults, and he enjoyed it quite a bit. The part he liked most was that the kids were busily trying to save the adults from their own foibles; the idea of kids knowing better than adults is near and dear to every young child's heart.

There is some humor at work here along with the kid's serious quest to right some wrongs, and the optimistic message that good intentions and a will to make things right will succeed in the end. That's a good message for kids, and probably for adults, too.