No-one could have put money on this working. And, of course, in many ways, it doesn't. If I saw it for the first time now, I might hate it. However, I watched it endlessly as a child. An American in the 1980s finds himself shunted back in time to World War II and meets the famous Biggles. The time zones are linked by Biggles' commanding officer, now an old man, and the very 80s Jim finds himself part of a plan to prevent the Germans developing a new weapon. It's cheesy trash. I absolutely love it.
52 Reviews
Enjoyable and entertaining Sci-Fi movie about time travels with plenty of adventures and noisy action
ma-cortes10 April 2018
Attractive and fun movie about time travels with frantic action, thrills , humor and spectacular scenes. A bold idea decently adapted in its execution but with a lousy musical score . It deals with a young businessman: Alex Hyde-White from present-day NYC is suddenly transferred into 1917 WWI .There he takes the identity of a spy and befriends a 1917 WWI flying ace : the husky Neal Dickson who has a genteel streak that conceals the viciousness required in war . The posh executive lnexplicably finds himself aboard a fighter plane over Europe.
This is an amusing film with emotion, breathtaking scenes, dogfighting , wooden but likeable interpretation and a lot of twists and turns . The much-loved WWI heroics of Biggles , the pilot from Captain WE Johns series of books are updated to 1986 Manhattan via a time travel gimmick, being prior adapted in a long TV series .Time-travel fantasy in which an ingenious executive is transported to Europe WWI and suffering several adventures , risks and dangers. The time-travelling American young is played by the sympathetic Alex Hyde White as a naive executive and his buddy is Neal Dickson as Biggles who is the best thing in a passable film that hardly plays fair with buffs of the original . Support cast is frankly well such as Fiona Hutchinson, Marcus Gilbert , William Hootkins and special mention for the great Peter Cushing in his last acting , playing an important secret agent whose headquarter is in the Tower Bridge .The big drawback is the horrible soundtrack by Stanislas composed by synthesizer , it ruins the film. It packs a colorful and evocative cinematography .
The motion pictures was professionally directed by John Hough including some flaws and gaps. Hough is a fine craftsman who has a long, uneven and eclectic career directing all kinds of genres . As he made terror movies: Hell's gate, Howling 4, American Gothic, Incubus , Legend of Hell house, Twins of evil ; Adventures: Treasure island, Escape to Witch Mountain, Return from Witch Mountain, Black arrow , The watcher in the woods, Dirty Mary crazy Larry ; Romantic drama: Duel of hearts , The lady and the highwayman, The dying truth ; Western : Triumphs of a man called Horse; Suspense: Eye witness and WWII : Brass target.
This is an amusing film with emotion, breathtaking scenes, dogfighting , wooden but likeable interpretation and a lot of twists and turns . The much-loved WWI heroics of Biggles , the pilot from Captain WE Johns series of books are updated to 1986 Manhattan via a time travel gimmick, being prior adapted in a long TV series .Time-travel fantasy in which an ingenious executive is transported to Europe WWI and suffering several adventures , risks and dangers. The time-travelling American young is played by the sympathetic Alex Hyde White as a naive executive and his buddy is Neal Dickson as Biggles who is the best thing in a passable film that hardly plays fair with buffs of the original . Support cast is frankly well such as Fiona Hutchinson, Marcus Gilbert , William Hootkins and special mention for the great Peter Cushing in his last acting , playing an important secret agent whose headquarter is in the Tower Bridge .The big drawback is the horrible soundtrack by Stanislas composed by synthesizer , it ruins the film. It packs a colorful and evocative cinematography .
The motion pictures was professionally directed by John Hough including some flaws and gaps. Hough is a fine craftsman who has a long, uneven and eclectic career directing all kinds of genres . As he made terror movies: Hell's gate, Howling 4, American Gothic, Incubus , Legend of Hell house, Twins of evil ; Adventures: Treasure island, Escape to Witch Mountain, Return from Witch Mountain, Black arrow , The watcher in the woods, Dirty Mary crazy Larry ; Romantic drama: Duel of hearts , The lady and the highwayman, The dying truth ; Western : Triumphs of a man called Horse; Suspense: Eye witness and WWII : Brass target.
An eight-year-old's favourite film ever.
soulbird14 August 1999
I always believed I'd grow out of this film, but that hasn't happened yet. True, the plot's impossibly silly, but when I first watched the film, that didn't matter to me. Frankly, it still doesn't. Don't watch this film if you're looking for some serious intellectual stimulation. However, if it's great fun, great music and a major dose of eighties nostalgia you're after, this could be the one for you. One last thing - the main theme "Do you wanna be a hero" still sends shivers down my spine every time I see the opening credits.
Lots of fun !
Toxie2k224 November 2003
My Grandad used to read the books as a child and my Mum introduced them to me, so its inevitable that i'd watch this film as a child needless to say me and my Mum love it !!
The film strays "slightly" away from the books World War 1 setting, (only in the eighties would they have made it into a time travel story) but the characters are faithful to the originals written in the books.
The films plot is a bit silly, but its lots of fun without been stupid and it makes me feel better every time i watch it.
I just hope my "time twin" is someone as cool as Captain James 'Biggles' Bigglesworth ;)
The film strays "slightly" away from the books World War 1 setting, (only in the eighties would they have made it into a time travel story) but the characters are faithful to the originals written in the books.
The films plot is a bit silly, but its lots of fun without been stupid and it makes me feel better every time i watch it.
I just hope my "time twin" is someone as cool as Captain James 'Biggles' Bigglesworth ;)
Nothing but great fun and memories
purpletangerinepromotions4 April 2020
I first saw this on a Sunday afternoon, early 90s at my great aunties... I've loved it ever since... I've even bought the dvd for the extras...
Don't take it seriously, it's just a bit of fun and had boggles been a known character in USA then maybe it wouldn't have flopped
Don't take it seriously, it's just a bit of fun and had boggles been a known character in USA then maybe it wouldn't have flopped
Viewed through nostalgia's eyes
bowmanblue16 April 2016
Put simply: I watched Biggles when I was a young boy in the cinema in the eighties. Therefore, I loved it. Of course, now, through adult's eyes, I can spot all its – numerous – failings, but I still love it nonetheless.
First of all, for those of you still under the misapprehension that Biggles was simply a series of books about a fictional First World War pilot, you may find that he's changed slightly on the big screen. Yes, he's still a loop-the-looping daredevil of the skies, but he also travels through time. Or rather a rather down-on-this-luck marketing executive in nineteen-eighties New York keeps slipping through a hole in time to help out Biggles whenever he gets into a jam. And here we learn about 'time twins' – two people from different eras who inexplicably appear next to each other whenever the other is in danger.
If you can forgive the minor straying from the source material, it's actually quite good fun – if you're in the mood for eighties cheese. And it is very eighties. The music is electro, completely over the top and doesn't fit the mood in the slightest (okay, it may be okay for the scenes set in the eighties, but watching a World War One battle to prog-new romantic whatever music is a little off-putting). It was like the film-makers were trying to recapture the style (or should that be 'style?') of Flash Gordon with its Queen soundtrack.
Plus you have the rather unfortunate choice in leading man. No, not Biggles, even though he should technically BE the leading man. Instead, and cynically some might say in order to sell it to our American cousins, the story is more about Jim – our overworked marketing exec from the Big Apple. The problem is he's just pretty wooden really. He's being dragged this way and that through time and his expression never really changes. Biggles would have been a better – but possibly less bankable – star in his own right.
But, even if you detest some of the casting choices, you still have the awesome dogfights between bi-planes. Biggles was made well before the advent of CGI and the use of real planes is pretty breathtaking (even to the sound of eighties electro!). And of course you have Peter Cushine – he's still got it, even though he looks a little tired now and it's no surprise to learn that this was his last on-screen role.
If you saw (and loved!) Biggles in the eighties, everything you loved about it will still be there. If you're coming to it fresh then you may wonder what you've let yourself in for. Fans of a severe overdose of eighties cheese only. If you liked Flash Gordon or Masters of the Universe, you may want to also put this one on your radar.
First of all, for those of you still under the misapprehension that Biggles was simply a series of books about a fictional First World War pilot, you may find that he's changed slightly on the big screen. Yes, he's still a loop-the-looping daredevil of the skies, but he also travels through time. Or rather a rather down-on-this-luck marketing executive in nineteen-eighties New York keeps slipping through a hole in time to help out Biggles whenever he gets into a jam. And here we learn about 'time twins' – two people from different eras who inexplicably appear next to each other whenever the other is in danger.
If you can forgive the minor straying from the source material, it's actually quite good fun – if you're in the mood for eighties cheese. And it is very eighties. The music is electro, completely over the top and doesn't fit the mood in the slightest (okay, it may be okay for the scenes set in the eighties, but watching a World War One battle to prog-new romantic whatever music is a little off-putting). It was like the film-makers were trying to recapture the style (or should that be 'style?') of Flash Gordon with its Queen soundtrack.
Plus you have the rather unfortunate choice in leading man. No, not Biggles, even though he should technically BE the leading man. Instead, and cynically some might say in order to sell it to our American cousins, the story is more about Jim – our overworked marketing exec from the Big Apple. The problem is he's just pretty wooden really. He's being dragged this way and that through time and his expression never really changes. Biggles would have been a better – but possibly less bankable – star in his own right.
But, even if you detest some of the casting choices, you still have the awesome dogfights between bi-planes. Biggles was made well before the advent of CGI and the use of real planes is pretty breathtaking (even to the sound of eighties electro!). And of course you have Peter Cushine – he's still got it, even though he looks a little tired now and it's no surprise to learn that this was his last on-screen role.
If you saw (and loved!) Biggles in the eighties, everything you loved about it will still be there. If you're coming to it fresh then you may wonder what you've let yourself in for. Fans of a severe overdose of eighties cheese only. If you liked Flash Gordon or Masters of the Universe, you may want to also put this one on your radar.
Entertaining movie suitable for boys of all ages.
opsbooks13 April 2003
'Biggles', taken as an SF-Adventure movie, is great fun. It bears little resemblance to the 'Biggles' books of W E Johns, though. Excellent performances, costuming and production values and sure to entertain boys from 8 to 80!
Largely overlooked and unknown but nevertheless a great movie
shurik-416 December 2000
This is a great movie. It might be silly and simplistic, but I will always be fond of this movie. The story is great, the special effects are good for the time, the soundtrack matches the mood of the movie perfectly. It is funny and it is a great example of a science fiction/action movie. Perhaps you would get the best impression of this movie if you first see it at a young age... it is really a lot like a sci-fi fairy tale.
A really fun adventure
Ta'Lon6 May 1999
This film is not meant to be taken seriously, but is a thoroughly enjoyable romp, with a lot of humour. I watch my recording from time to time, and still laugh at it.
I particularly liked the way that Col. Raymond explained to Ferguson that the Germans are developing a secret weapon that could change the outcome of WWI, as though the war is still taking place, rather than being long over. This film gave the feeling that the past is still just as real as the present, and is somehow happening at the same time - spooky!
The background music was excellent: the "So you want to be a hero?!" piece as the biplanes streaked along just over the ground, woods on both sides, was marvelous.
The supporting characters of Algy, Bertie and Ginger seemed to fit so well with the old Capt. W.E. Johns stories - the actors really looked the part. Neil Dickson was excellent as the brave but human British hero who, when Von Stalheim proposes a toast "To War", replies "To Peace". The film definitely captured some of the "Boy's Own" era of British story-telling, when the heroes were bold, resourceful and always ready to have a go at the enemy, regardless of the odds or the danger - but always remained polite and courteous.
I really don't understand why this film bombed out at the box-office; after all, we have all seen far worse films which did much better. Perhaps the name "Biggles" is too British to attract an American audience, who don't have the nostalgic fondness for the character that we who read the books in our youth have?
I particularly liked the way that Col. Raymond explained to Ferguson that the Germans are developing a secret weapon that could change the outcome of WWI, as though the war is still taking place, rather than being long over. This film gave the feeling that the past is still just as real as the present, and is somehow happening at the same time - spooky!
The background music was excellent: the "So you want to be a hero?!" piece as the biplanes streaked along just over the ground, woods on both sides, was marvelous.
The supporting characters of Algy, Bertie and Ginger seemed to fit so well with the old Capt. W.E. Johns stories - the actors really looked the part. Neil Dickson was excellent as the brave but human British hero who, when Von Stalheim proposes a toast "To War", replies "To Peace". The film definitely captured some of the "Boy's Own" era of British story-telling, when the heroes were bold, resourceful and always ready to have a go at the enemy, regardless of the odds or the danger - but always remained polite and courteous.
I really don't understand why this film bombed out at the box-office; after all, we have all seen far worse films which did much better. Perhaps the name "Biggles" is too British to attract an American audience, who don't have the nostalgic fondness for the character that we who read the books in our youth have?
Chocks away for adventures in time!!
cold_lazarou9 January 2012
In answer to the insistently-asked question in the theme tune - yes, i do indeed want to be a hero, as evidenced in my bravery in admitting that this is, and long has been, a favourite film of mine.
This is a one of those films many people refer to as a "guilty pleasure", well - i feel no guilt or shame in declaring my love for this movie. It's simply brilliant fun. Great action adventure larks, with likable characters, a neat time-travel plot, a groovy '80s theme tune, and an appearance by genre legend Peter Cushing (in his final screen performance). Honestly, what more do you need? Oh, you need more, do you? OK, then: Francesca Gonshaw, the really cute barmaid from early seasons of 'Allo 'Allo, as a Belgian resistance fighter (i swear, if she's said "Listen very carefully, i shall say zis only once" in that accent, my mind - and indeed my pants - may have exploded). Also, for all of us watching Doctor Who in the mid to late '80s, roles for both James Saxon and Marcus Gilbert. How'd'ya like them apples?
Absolutely sublime nostalgic fun. To be watched with a few ales, alongside "The Living Daylights" or "Young Sherlock Holmes and the Pyramid of Fear". Bliss!
This is a one of those films many people refer to as a "guilty pleasure", well - i feel no guilt or shame in declaring my love for this movie. It's simply brilliant fun. Great action adventure larks, with likable characters, a neat time-travel plot, a groovy '80s theme tune, and an appearance by genre legend Peter Cushing (in his final screen performance). Honestly, what more do you need? Oh, you need more, do you? OK, then: Francesca Gonshaw, the really cute barmaid from early seasons of 'Allo 'Allo, as a Belgian resistance fighter (i swear, if she's said "Listen very carefully, i shall say zis only once" in that accent, my mind - and indeed my pants - may have exploded). Also, for all of us watching Doctor Who in the mid to late '80s, roles for both James Saxon and Marcus Gilbert. How'd'ya like them apples?
Absolutely sublime nostalgic fun. To be watched with a few ales, alongside "The Living Daylights" or "Young Sherlock Holmes and the Pyramid of Fear". Bliss!
They've tried VERY hard with the R2 DVD...
astro_nomenoff2 May 2004
...what a pity the original movie wasn't worked on with the same skill and dedication.
I am a very big fan of the books. I read 'Biggles of 266' when I was aged 10 and 29 years later I'm still reading the adventures.
What a waste of the Biggles movie license.
The film wasn't all bad, though. Neil Dickson's portrayal of Biggles was spot on. The supporting actors did a pretty good job as well. The production design was excellent (well, the 1917 bits, anyway). That takes care of the good points.
Where the hell did they drag that soundtrack up from? Nasty is what I call it. I actually cringed during the film, due to inapropriate music.
The stunts were mostly unnecessary ego-boosting cliches.
The script was a total nightmare. Either copy Indiana Jones OR Back to the Future, not BOTH! If they'd cut the 80s bit out, cast Hyde-White as an american reporter and kept the secret weapon bits in, I would have no quibble with this film.
I would recommend buying the DVD if only for the unintentionally hilarious documentary. "..we thought a big star would've 'unbalanced' the film..." you don't say!!!
£3.99 at WH Smiths - buy it now! The spirit of Edward D Wood Jr. lives on!
I am a very big fan of the books. I read 'Biggles of 266' when I was aged 10 and 29 years later I'm still reading the adventures.
What a waste of the Biggles movie license.
The film wasn't all bad, though. Neil Dickson's portrayal of Biggles was spot on. The supporting actors did a pretty good job as well. The production design was excellent (well, the 1917 bits, anyway). That takes care of the good points.
Where the hell did they drag that soundtrack up from? Nasty is what I call it. I actually cringed during the film, due to inapropriate music.
The stunts were mostly unnecessary ego-boosting cliches.
The script was a total nightmare. Either copy Indiana Jones OR Back to the Future, not BOTH! If they'd cut the 80s bit out, cast Hyde-White as an american reporter and kept the secret weapon bits in, I would have no quibble with this film.
I would recommend buying the DVD if only for the unintentionally hilarious documentary. "..we thought a big star would've 'unbalanced' the film..." you don't say!!!
£3.99 at WH Smiths - buy it now! The spirit of Edward D Wood Jr. lives on!
"Yo, Biggles!"
ShadeGrenade6 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Cards on the table time - I have not read the 'Biggles' books by Captain W.E. Johns. I remember seeing them on sale in the children's book department of W.H. Smiths back in the 1970's, but never plucked up the courage to actually buy one. I was more into the 'Nick Carter - Killmaster' novels. I assumed the 'Biggles' books to be jingoistic relics from the days when England was alleged to have ruled the waves ( and skies ), the sort of stories Grandad read as a boy. But that was then.
Around the end of the decade, a feature film was mooted, starring John Cleese in the title role. Though it would have been interesting seeing the star of one flying circus in yet another, it never happened. Dudley Moore's name next came up in connection with the project. Fine if they wanted to send up the character, but not for an allegedly straight adaptation. Appearing on Granada's 'Clapperboard' to talk about the Robert Powell version of 'The Thirty-Nine Steps' ( which he had adapted ), writer Michael Robson stated that he was currently working on a screenplay for 'Biggles'. As he said it, he looked faintly embarrassed.
The problem in bringing 'Biggles' to the Silver Screen was that the character ( indeed the genre ) had been sent up rotten over the years by, amongst other things, 'Monty Python', 'Ripping Yarns', and Russ Abbot. Just put a comedian in a World War One flying suit ( with goggles ) give him a handlebar moustache, make him talk thus: "Wizard Prang! What larks! Shot down two Fokkers over the Channel. One did a belly flop over the teddy bear!" and the audience would be certain to die laughing.
In 1986, a 'Biggles' movie finally appeared. The writers decided to bring in a sci-fi element in an effort to grab some of the 'Back To The Future' audience. It starts in the then-present day with Jim Ferguson, an ad man based in New York, who is being stalked by a mysterious Englishman, Colonel Raymond, played by the great Peter Cushing ( in what turned out to be his last role ).
Ferguson keeps jumping back in time for no apparent reason, to 1917, where he meets flying ace James Bigglesworth, or 'Biggles' for short. Biggles has discovered that the Germans have invented a new sonic device capable of mass destruction.
So back and forth goes poor old Jim. One minute he's in N.Y. extolling the virtues of T.V. dinners, the next up to his neck in blood and mud in W.W.1 France, working alongside Biggles, who apparently is his 'time twin'. In one amusing scene, Jim dresses as a W.W.1 soldier and waits in his hotel room to be blasted back to Biggles' side, but it never happens. A cleaner finds him the next morning and laughs at him.
Neil Dickson is not on screen enough of the time to warrant his top billing, which is a pity as he's terrific in the role of 'Biggles'. Most of the film is devoted to Alex Hyde-White ( son of Wilfrid ) as 'Jim'. He's okay, but I wish that the focus of the story was more on the title character. The action scenes, while not as good as those of say 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark', are nevertheless exciting. One particularly good moment has a helicopter containing Biggles and Jim winding up in 1917, where it comes in handy against the Germans. There's also a very emotional scene in 1986 where elderly Colonel Raymond is reunited with Biggles, the latter not having aged a day since they last met.
Overall this is an enjoyable romp, but it is a shame that its makers did not have the confidence to make this a real 'Biggles' movie, instead of trying to shoehorn him into a daft sci-fi story. Ironically, the 1917 scenes have dated far less badly than the 1980's stuff. The rock soundtrack was another mistake.
The director was John Hough, whose other credits include 'The Legend Of Hell House' and the Hammer movie 'Twins Of Evil', as well as episodes of 'The Avengers' television series.
'Biggles' was dumped on by critics and ignored by the public when it came out, but now seems quite charming. Interestingly, around the time of its release, I spotted a young boy coming out of a library with a heavy looking book - an omnibus edition of 'Biggles'. If the film, for all its faults, inspired someone to seek out and read the original stories then it could not have been a waste of time after all. I may give them a go myself one day.
Around the end of the decade, a feature film was mooted, starring John Cleese in the title role. Though it would have been interesting seeing the star of one flying circus in yet another, it never happened. Dudley Moore's name next came up in connection with the project. Fine if they wanted to send up the character, but not for an allegedly straight adaptation. Appearing on Granada's 'Clapperboard' to talk about the Robert Powell version of 'The Thirty-Nine Steps' ( which he had adapted ), writer Michael Robson stated that he was currently working on a screenplay for 'Biggles'. As he said it, he looked faintly embarrassed.
The problem in bringing 'Biggles' to the Silver Screen was that the character ( indeed the genre ) had been sent up rotten over the years by, amongst other things, 'Monty Python', 'Ripping Yarns', and Russ Abbot. Just put a comedian in a World War One flying suit ( with goggles ) give him a handlebar moustache, make him talk thus: "Wizard Prang! What larks! Shot down two Fokkers over the Channel. One did a belly flop over the teddy bear!" and the audience would be certain to die laughing.
In 1986, a 'Biggles' movie finally appeared. The writers decided to bring in a sci-fi element in an effort to grab some of the 'Back To The Future' audience. It starts in the then-present day with Jim Ferguson, an ad man based in New York, who is being stalked by a mysterious Englishman, Colonel Raymond, played by the great Peter Cushing ( in what turned out to be his last role ).
Ferguson keeps jumping back in time for no apparent reason, to 1917, where he meets flying ace James Bigglesworth, or 'Biggles' for short. Biggles has discovered that the Germans have invented a new sonic device capable of mass destruction.
So back and forth goes poor old Jim. One minute he's in N.Y. extolling the virtues of T.V. dinners, the next up to his neck in blood and mud in W.W.1 France, working alongside Biggles, who apparently is his 'time twin'. In one amusing scene, Jim dresses as a W.W.1 soldier and waits in his hotel room to be blasted back to Biggles' side, but it never happens. A cleaner finds him the next morning and laughs at him.
Neil Dickson is not on screen enough of the time to warrant his top billing, which is a pity as he's terrific in the role of 'Biggles'. Most of the film is devoted to Alex Hyde-White ( son of Wilfrid ) as 'Jim'. He's okay, but I wish that the focus of the story was more on the title character. The action scenes, while not as good as those of say 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark', are nevertheless exciting. One particularly good moment has a helicopter containing Biggles and Jim winding up in 1917, where it comes in handy against the Germans. There's also a very emotional scene in 1986 where elderly Colonel Raymond is reunited with Biggles, the latter not having aged a day since they last met.
Overall this is an enjoyable romp, but it is a shame that its makers did not have the confidence to make this a real 'Biggles' movie, instead of trying to shoehorn him into a daft sci-fi story. Ironically, the 1917 scenes have dated far less badly than the 1980's stuff. The rock soundtrack was another mistake.
The director was John Hough, whose other credits include 'The Legend Of Hell House' and the Hammer movie 'Twins Of Evil', as well as episodes of 'The Avengers' television series.
'Biggles' was dumped on by critics and ignored by the public when it came out, but now seems quite charming. Interestingly, around the time of its release, I spotted a young boy coming out of a library with a heavy looking book - an omnibus edition of 'Biggles'. If the film, for all its faults, inspired someone to seek out and read the original stories then it could not have been a waste of time after all. I may give them a go myself one day.
Just a minor point
roger-39524 February 2007
I hate to quibble with a comment but I had to offer some follow up to the comment regarding the disbelief of a German secret weapon during World War I. The concept for a wave type weapon has its origins before World War I with Nicola Tesla, who first postulated the notion of what has become known as scalar waves. Modern physics denies that such waves can exist but Tesla was convinced that they did and according to some he provided it (Tesla Horwitzer). The British actually developed the first theoretic underpinnings for a sound weapon of the type depicted in Biggles and frankly I thought that is where the idea came from. We "moderns" think far to much of our capabilities. What is happening today is that some open minded scientists are revisiting discarded Victorian science. How many people know that the modern principles of William Clerk Maxwell's electromagnetic principles are taught today in a truncated form and that the missing parts may in fact provide the theory for effective wave weapons (ever wonder why the US government spends so much time on Star Wars technology?). By the 1930s, the Germans were developing a number of secret weapons including the so called death rays. I think it prudent to give early modern humans credit for being just as creative as our generation and a lot more open minded.
Songs by Jon Anderson...ok not very good songs
1930s_Time_Machine7 May 2022
Only watched this because I discovered that Jon Anderson (of YES) wrote the music. I then realised why Jon Anderson never really publicised that he'd done this - because 1) it's definitely not his best work an 2) it's definitely not a good film.
Even so, although it's utter nonsense, I stuck with it to the end so it can't have been that bad. It could have been an episode in one of the old 1980s Dr Who stories or maybe Quantum Leap - similar feel. Something for a rainy Saturday afternoon. It's also Peter Cushing's last film - in this he plays the same role he'd been doing for decades in films, many of which were a lot worse than this.
Even so, although it's utter nonsense, I stuck with it to the end so it can't have been that bad. It could have been an episode in one of the old 1980s Dr Who stories or maybe Quantum Leap - similar feel. Something for a rainy Saturday afternoon. It's also Peter Cushing's last film - in this he plays the same role he'd been doing for decades in films, many of which were a lot worse than this.
Fun 80's Adventure Flick
Lebowskidoo23 June 2019
Being an 80's kid who had access to cable TV and video stores, I kinda pride myself on having seen most movies from that era. However, there are a small number that have eluded my grasp, such as this one. It was the time when I discovered James Bond, and Indiana Jones and all his copycats permeated pop culture. Adventure tales were my thing back then, I probably would have loved it in the 80's.
Now, finding a long lost 80's movie I'd missed is an adventure for me. Nostalgia makes such things nearer and dearer.
This was a fun romp, but don't expect too much more. Plays a bit like the pilot of a TV show that never happened, but there are some cool World War I flying scenes.
The final film role for Peter Cushing.
Now, finding a long lost 80's movie I'd missed is an adventure for me. Nostalgia makes such things nearer and dearer.
This was a fun romp, but don't expect too much more. Plays a bit like the pilot of a TV show that never happened, but there are some cool World War I flying scenes.
The final film role for Peter Cushing.
The ultimate eighties/retro look....
Lostoyannaya13 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
**Spoiler warning** This movie is the very embodyment of what would happen when an eighties guy is transported back to WW1, commenting on things like nuclear weapons and punk hairdos to the bewilderment of the upper class gentlemens of the war. (I would have like to have seen all of the characters journey to the future, but that would be too much to ask^^).
The best part of the movie, undoubtedly, is when Jim is transported into a nunnery wearing nothing but a towel and the nuns mistake him for Jesus -_- I would have to love to have known what was going through the boys' minds when they found him.
A lot of people complain about the storyline but I think it's good and relevant. The only thing that irks me is that you never found out who went back and told the Germans to build the sound weapon and so altered time. That would have been a good thing - perhaps even if it was Stalhein himself when he was old.
So, all in all, if you want a good time and a not-too-complicated storyline to have on in the background...get this.
~~Lostoyannaya
The best part of the movie, undoubtedly, is when Jim is transported into a nunnery wearing nothing but a towel and the nuns mistake him for Jesus -_- I would have to love to have known what was going through the boys' minds when they found him.
A lot of people complain about the storyline but I think it's good and relevant. The only thing that irks me is that you never found out who went back and told the Germans to build the sound weapon and so altered time. That would have been a good thing - perhaps even if it was Stalhein himself when he was old.
So, all in all, if you want a good time and a not-too-complicated storyline to have on in the background...get this.
~~Lostoyannaya
A forgotten gem
admin-2216914 February 2019
Back to the Future meets WW1 in this stiff upper lip adventure. The special effects are excellent as is realism. Peter Cushing is the perfect retired gent and the rest of the cast shine in this fast paced time travel saga. It captures a feel of Biggles beautifully with lovely humour and sharp exicution of an 80's movie. Sit back and enjoy a great romp.
British Captain James Bigglesworth, "Biggles" to his friends, saves civilization as we know it
Terrell-431 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
We're on the Western Front in 1917 and the Germans have nearly finished work on a breakthrough secret weapon. This fiendish device emits high pitched, powerful sound waves that...I'd better keep this simple...destroy the sub-cleotic structure of an object's crone base, causing crystatin failure with subsequent nektonic surt degradation on a massive scale. This results in catastrophic softening of human flesh and brittle crumbling of metal structures and objects. At least that's how I think it works.
If the Hun uses this weapon, it could change the course of history as we know it. There's only one man who can stop this madness...British Captain James Bigglesworth, "Biggles" to those who know him, adventurer, warrior, always there when things are the diciest, and yet driven by resolute honor. Biggles is the sort of man that schoolboys would look up to and who would devour the stories of his adventures. In fact, between the end of WWI and the start of WWII, British schoolboys did just that in tale after tale written by W.E. Johns.
In this movie we discover something Johns apparently was unaware of. Some people, it seems, have time twins. When one of the time twins is in danger, his twin will be sent instantly through time and space to help. That's the pickle young American marketing hotshot Jim Ferguson (Alex Hyde-White), head of Celebrity Dinners, finds himself in. One moment he's worrying about whether the creamed corn looks like a dog's breakfast and the next he's running toward a downed British bi-plane in the middle of a blasted battlefield, with whiz bangs falling around. He rescues the pilot...who is Biggles (Neil Dickson). Only when Jim lands back to his own time does he get an explanation, from no other than Peter Cushing in his last screen role as the aged Air Commodore William Raymond, Special Air Force (Retired) who has quarters in 1A, Tower Bridge, London. Raymond was Biggles commander back then. He explains to Jim the phenomenon of time twins, something modern scientists still are only beginning to understand. More importantly, he explains the vital importance of Biggles' effort to locate and destroy this new German monstrosity. Biggles is aided only his loyal team made up of Ginger, Algy and Bertie. Facing Biggles is the might of the Hun, led by German fighter ace Eric Von Stalheim. Even though Jim's fiancée, Debbie, thinks he's crazy, Jim prepares himself to aid Biggles. Of course, before long, Debbie finds herself back in time, too.
The movie is absolute nonsense, but good nonsense in my opinion. There's no nudge-nudge by the director or the actors to let us know they're in on the joke. They play it straight, which makes things all the more enjoyable. Neil Dickson is just fine as the strong-chinned, resolute, resourceful, brave, honorable, dashing Biggles. "I'll not put a bullet in your head, old boy," he says at one point to Von Stalheim, "because that's not how we do business!" Alex Hyde-White holds his own as the baby-faced but resolute Jim Ferguson, very much a creature of the 1980's who now finds himself bouncing in and out of WWI. "It looks like this town's been nuked," he says to Biggles when they find themselves in the middle of a ruined town square. "Nuked? What's that?" Biggles asks. "It's an American slang term. It means to overreact." And Peter Cushing, looking even more skeletal than usual at 73 but still a commanding actor and reasonably spry, brings the same kind of utterly believable delivery to his lines that he gave to mummies, vampires and werewolves. It was good to see him again.
Biggles was unfortunate in being released a year after Back to the Future came out. As a time-travel adventure it didn't compare and quickly faded. Still, it's a fine example, in my view, of an affectionate, stiff-upper-lip boy's own adventure. Biggles isn't a great movie or even a memorable one, but it's competently made and it's fun. That's not a bad epitaph for a movie.
If the Hun uses this weapon, it could change the course of history as we know it. There's only one man who can stop this madness...British Captain James Bigglesworth, "Biggles" to those who know him, adventurer, warrior, always there when things are the diciest, and yet driven by resolute honor. Biggles is the sort of man that schoolboys would look up to and who would devour the stories of his adventures. In fact, between the end of WWI and the start of WWII, British schoolboys did just that in tale after tale written by W.E. Johns.
In this movie we discover something Johns apparently was unaware of. Some people, it seems, have time twins. When one of the time twins is in danger, his twin will be sent instantly through time and space to help. That's the pickle young American marketing hotshot Jim Ferguson (Alex Hyde-White), head of Celebrity Dinners, finds himself in. One moment he's worrying about whether the creamed corn looks like a dog's breakfast and the next he's running toward a downed British bi-plane in the middle of a blasted battlefield, with whiz bangs falling around. He rescues the pilot...who is Biggles (Neil Dickson). Only when Jim lands back to his own time does he get an explanation, from no other than Peter Cushing in his last screen role as the aged Air Commodore William Raymond, Special Air Force (Retired) who has quarters in 1A, Tower Bridge, London. Raymond was Biggles commander back then. He explains to Jim the phenomenon of time twins, something modern scientists still are only beginning to understand. More importantly, he explains the vital importance of Biggles' effort to locate and destroy this new German monstrosity. Biggles is aided only his loyal team made up of Ginger, Algy and Bertie. Facing Biggles is the might of the Hun, led by German fighter ace Eric Von Stalheim. Even though Jim's fiancée, Debbie, thinks he's crazy, Jim prepares himself to aid Biggles. Of course, before long, Debbie finds herself back in time, too.
The movie is absolute nonsense, but good nonsense in my opinion. There's no nudge-nudge by the director or the actors to let us know they're in on the joke. They play it straight, which makes things all the more enjoyable. Neil Dickson is just fine as the strong-chinned, resolute, resourceful, brave, honorable, dashing Biggles. "I'll not put a bullet in your head, old boy," he says at one point to Von Stalheim, "because that's not how we do business!" Alex Hyde-White holds his own as the baby-faced but resolute Jim Ferguson, very much a creature of the 1980's who now finds himself bouncing in and out of WWI. "It looks like this town's been nuked," he says to Biggles when they find themselves in the middle of a ruined town square. "Nuked? What's that?" Biggles asks. "It's an American slang term. It means to overreact." And Peter Cushing, looking even more skeletal than usual at 73 but still a commanding actor and reasonably spry, brings the same kind of utterly believable delivery to his lines that he gave to mummies, vampires and werewolves. It was good to see him again.
Biggles was unfortunate in being released a year after Back to the Future came out. As a time-travel adventure it didn't compare and quickly faded. Still, it's a fine example, in my view, of an affectionate, stiff-upper-lip boy's own adventure. Biggles isn't a great movie or even a memorable one, but it's competently made and it's fun. That's not a bad epitaph for a movie.
A classic retro film
alaskan_scout11 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I've read a lot of the reviews on here and there are some really negatives views of the film
OK so it is a bit tosh, cheesy, the music clashes and the storyline is a bit naff! i mean can a helicopters loudspeaker destroy a massive satellite dish?!?!
but not taking anything away from a great film which i thought was thoroughly enjoyable! The music, if somewhat out of place is really catchy. especially the "do u wanna be a hero" song, the action is OK! i like the part when he's firing the machine gun at the Germans in the war, then zooms back to modern day and is shooting at the police! classic!
Very enjoyable film i must say
OK so it is a bit tosh, cheesy, the music clashes and the storyline is a bit naff! i mean can a helicopters loudspeaker destroy a massive satellite dish?!?!
but not taking anything away from a great film which i thought was thoroughly enjoyable! The music, if somewhat out of place is really catchy. especially the "do u wanna be a hero" song, the action is OK! i like the part when he's firing the machine gun at the Germans in the war, then zooms back to modern day and is shooting at the police! classic!
Very enjoyable film i must say
Decent, but not great
Scott-828 March 1999
"Biggles" aspired to be an adventure movie in the sense of the old serials and dime novels; it comes close to succeeding on some levels, but blows it where it matters. The story itself centers on a bland frozen food marketer who keeps finding himself transported back in time to help a pilot.
Some things worked out very well; the close up shots of biplanes dogfighting and streaking down to just graze the ground, the accuracy of the equipment and weapons for the time period. (For those who don't believe machine guns existed back then, the one they use is a Bergmann MP-18, which was correct for 1917-1918.) You also get to see Peter Cushing in one of his last roles.
Other things required some suspension of belief, namely the Germans developing secret weapons in World War ONE.
But what ruined the movie for me was the god awful eighties pop music soundtrack, and a lead actor who has as much charisma as a wooden door. You can tell they were thinking of making a TV series or move franchise from this one, with different music and a better lead, they might have.
Some things worked out very well; the close up shots of biplanes dogfighting and streaking down to just graze the ground, the accuracy of the equipment and weapons for the time period. (For those who don't believe machine guns existed back then, the one they use is a Bergmann MP-18, which was correct for 1917-1918.) You also get to see Peter Cushing in one of his last roles.
Other things required some suspension of belief, namely the Germans developing secret weapons in World War ONE.
But what ruined the movie for me was the god awful eighties pop music soundtrack, and a lead actor who has as much charisma as a wooden door. You can tell they were thinking of making a TV series or move franchise from this one, with different music and a better lead, they might have.
Strange Hybrid Of World War One and Sci-Fi
wilsonstuart-3234631 December 2018
Which does not really work. I remember Biggles being heavily marketed in comics like The Eagle and The Transformers back in 1986. I don't remember watching in the cinema but I caught it on TV or VHS a few years later. I think I might have a sticker album as well.
As a straightforward WW1 action flick (or maybe even taking a cue from Aces High or Dawn Patrol) Biggles might have worked. Authentic locations, good combat scenes, a mysterious but plausible secret weapon, his cast of ever reliable 'chums'. We even have an arch nemesis in the shape of Erich von Stalhein, while the fair Maria (of Allo Allo fame) provides an intriguing love interest / spy angle - something that was rarely considered in the original books (which I have not read).
Unfortunately, all of this was sidelined in a rather silly (to my eyes now!) time travel plot used solely to drag in a clutch of clichéd Americans and comedy Eighties set pieces - all of which have dated badly indeed. If Neil Dickson is an effective Biggles, and Peter Cushing shines as a dignified Colonel Raymond, then Alex Hyde - White reacts to the action and bedlam with all the emotion of racing result.
But I'm not going to be too harsh here. There's lots of fun to be had, just as there was all those years ago. Just switch your brain off, accept the implausibility and chocks away!!
As a straightforward WW1 action flick (or maybe even taking a cue from Aces High or Dawn Patrol) Biggles might have worked. Authentic locations, good combat scenes, a mysterious but plausible secret weapon, his cast of ever reliable 'chums'. We even have an arch nemesis in the shape of Erich von Stalhein, while the fair Maria (of Allo Allo fame) provides an intriguing love interest / spy angle - something that was rarely considered in the original books (which I have not read).
Unfortunately, all of this was sidelined in a rather silly (to my eyes now!) time travel plot used solely to drag in a clutch of clichéd Americans and comedy Eighties set pieces - all of which have dated badly indeed. If Neil Dickson is an effective Biggles, and Peter Cushing shines as a dignified Colonel Raymond, then Alex Hyde - White reacts to the action and bedlam with all the emotion of racing result.
But I'm not going to be too harsh here. There's lots of fun to be had, just as there was all those years ago. Just switch your brain off, accept the implausibility and chocks away!!
A truly fun film
Mr. Boy31 March 1999
I first saw "Biggles" on HBO in 1987. I taped it, and still watch it at least once a year. It's a really fun movie. When Jim Ferguson is shooting at Germans and then suddenly finds himself firing at police still makes me laugh after the ump-teenth time. Outside of my family, however, I know of only 3 other people in the world who have seen "Biggles." A shame. It's a great movie. If you liked Alex Hyde-White (Jim Ferguson) in this, look for him in "Ishtar" and a relatively unknown part in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." During the opening scene with the young Indy, Hyde-White plays the young older Dr. Jones, later played by Sean Connery for the rest of the film.
In a word: awful!
barnabyrudge21 December 2003
Biggles was originally a WW1 pilot created by Captain W.E Johns in a series of dashing adventure novels. I'm not a purist and I don't mind new twists on old material, but this sci-fi/time-travel slant on the old stories strains the patience beyond belief. It's such a contrived, feeble concept - badly scripted, badly directed and badly acted - that only the most easily satisfied of viewers will enjoy it.
You know you're in trouble from the moment the film's cheesy disco-style theme tune, "Do You Want To Be A Hero", kicks in during the opening credits. Young New Yorker James Ferguson (Alex Hyde-White) arrives home at his apartment only to be confronted by a mysterious old Englishman named Colonel Raymond (Peter Cushing). Moments later, there's a mysterious flash of lightning and Ferguson finds himself whisked back in time to a WW1 battlefield, just in time to save the life of ace pilot Biggles (Neil Dickson). It turns out that Ferguson and Biggles are "time twins" and that whenever one is in grave danger, the other will come zapping through time to the rescue.
The wittiest moment in the film comes during the final credits, when a monicker comes up on screen reading: "Filmed on location in New York - London - and the Western Front 1917". Other than that, this is a witless affair indeed. It's quite sad to see the legendary Cushing slumming in such a weakly written cameo role. Some of the action sequences set during WW1 rise to the giddy heights of "mediocre", but the 1980s sequences are hopelessly tacky, and the twist ending in which our irritating hero is zapped back to a cave full of cannibal tribesmen is just plain awful. On the whole, Biggles is a monumental example of how low a point entertainment sank to during the era of cinematic junk that was the '80s.
You know you're in trouble from the moment the film's cheesy disco-style theme tune, "Do You Want To Be A Hero", kicks in during the opening credits. Young New Yorker James Ferguson (Alex Hyde-White) arrives home at his apartment only to be confronted by a mysterious old Englishman named Colonel Raymond (Peter Cushing). Moments later, there's a mysterious flash of lightning and Ferguson finds himself whisked back in time to a WW1 battlefield, just in time to save the life of ace pilot Biggles (Neil Dickson). It turns out that Ferguson and Biggles are "time twins" and that whenever one is in grave danger, the other will come zapping through time to the rescue.
The wittiest moment in the film comes during the final credits, when a monicker comes up on screen reading: "Filmed on location in New York - London - and the Western Front 1917". Other than that, this is a witless affair indeed. It's quite sad to see the legendary Cushing slumming in such a weakly written cameo role. Some of the action sequences set during WW1 rise to the giddy heights of "mediocre", but the 1980s sequences are hopelessly tacky, and the twist ending in which our irritating hero is zapped back to a cave full of cannibal tribesmen is just plain awful. On the whole, Biggles is a monumental example of how low a point entertainment sank to during the era of cinematic junk that was the '80s.
Unique
EDDY-00727 September 2002
I really enjoyed the film and thought it was pure genious!
Biggles is a star unto himself! The film is full of action and alittle comedy!
I like the fact that Biggles was a real live person and some of the film was based on fact and not fiction. Ginger, Algie and Biggles were all pilots in the First World War and possably went on to see service in the Second!
The film is a fantastic eighties fantasy,war adventure pact with a prefect plot!
Good against Evil
Biggles is a star unto himself! The film is full of action and alittle comedy!
I like the fact that Biggles was a real live person and some of the film was based on fact and not fiction. Ginger, Algie and Biggles were all pilots in the First World War and possably went on to see service in the Second!
The film is a fantastic eighties fantasy,war adventure pact with a prefect plot!
Good against Evil
Out of place, out of time
Leofwine_draca14 January 2015
BIGGLES could have been a great, authentic adaptation of the famous 'boy's own' adventure stories by Captain W. E. Johns, but some genius scriptwriter had the idea of updating the storyline to then modern day to draw in the American audience. Thus we get a slapdash sci-fi outing involving an annoying Yank who repeatedly time travels to WW1, where he gets involved with the antics of the eponymous hero.
In essence, this is a film of two halves. The period-era stuff is fairly decent, featuring a workable performance from Neil Dickson as the hero. There are the requisite aerial dogfights and gun battles, all of it following a simplistic action-template formula, but it works well enough. The old ruined gasworks setting of Kubrik's FULL METAL JACKET is brought into play again and provides a fitting backdrop for the action.
A shame, then, that the modern-day stuff is so off-putting, and no surprise that it has dated more than the WW1 story. Alex Hyde-White's American accent is way over the top, and the lame humour adds absolutely nothing to the story. The only good part is the presence of Peter Cushing in a large-ish supporting role; this was to be his final screen performance, and it's an acceptable denouement for the star, his character filled with the quiet dignity we've come to associate with the actor.
In essence, this is a film of two halves. The period-era stuff is fairly decent, featuring a workable performance from Neil Dickson as the hero. There are the requisite aerial dogfights and gun battles, all of it following a simplistic action-template formula, but it works well enough. The old ruined gasworks setting of Kubrik's FULL METAL JACKET is brought into play again and provides a fitting backdrop for the action.
A shame, then, that the modern-day stuff is so off-putting, and no surprise that it has dated more than the WW1 story. Alex Hyde-White's American accent is way over the top, and the lame humour adds absolutely nothing to the story. The only good part is the presence of Peter Cushing in a large-ish supporting role; this was to be his final screen performance, and it's an acceptable denouement for the star, his character filled with the quiet dignity we've come to associate with the actor.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews