Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Biggles: Adventures in Time Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 10, 2016

John Hough's "Biggles: Adventures in Time" (1986) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent British distributors Screenbound Pictures. The only bonus feature on the disc is an original trailer for the film. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Biggles

There are some films that are just perfect to see very late at night when the mind is so tired that it simply cannot be bothered with logic. I have seen a good number of them during the years and there are actually a few that I like a lot and frequently revisit. My favorite ones come from two different groups. The ones from the first group are darker films, with very specific futuristic atmosphere and excellent ambient scores. Good examples are Richard Stanley’s Hardware and Tony Maylam’s Split Second. The ones from the second group are typically light comedies that tend to go overboard in a variety of different ways. Some good examples are Georges Lautner’s Happy Easter and Jean Girault’s The Troops of Saint-Tropez.

John Hough’s Biggles: Adventures in Time is that kind of a film, perfect to see very late at night. Indeed, it has an utterly unbelievable plot, but if you ignore its problematic parts it can be quite entertaining. It is about time travel and the odd surprises that a time traveler may encounter while moving through the holes that apparently make the journey possible. (In case you care, this film does not fit into any of the two categories I mentioned above).

The film begins in the present where the young and very ambitious businessman Jim Ferguson (Alex Hyde-White, The Phantom of the Opera) accidentally discovers that he can jump through time. For some unknown to him reason, however, he always lands in 1917, in the middle of WWI, where another time traveler, the bubbly pilot James 'Biggles' Bigglesworth (Neil Dickson, Lionheart), is on a mission to destroy a powerful new sound weapon which the Germans have started testing. If Biggles succeeds the world Jim comes from will remain the same, but if he fails… well, no one really knows what would happen with it when it is time for Jim to head back home. So Biggles and Jim team up and go to work determined to save the world, but somehow get stuck in an odd loop that constantly moves them between 1917 and the present where a whole lot of people begin wondering if in addition to his legit business Jim might be running an entirely different one on the side.

The action is light and refreshingly unpretentious, but anyone familiar with W. E. Johns’ popular novels will almost certainly have a difficult time embracing this film as a faithful adaption that gives Biggles a chance to impress. Indeed, the script actually not only treats Jim as a more important character, but some of the best material is actually without Biggles.

Still, I find the film quite entertaining and even surprisingly relaxing. It has a nice period atmosphere that makes it almost as attractive as Hardware and Split Second and a ton of good laughs that make the bulk of the ridiculous ‘surprises’ fairly easy to tolerate. There is even a very solid retro synth score that gives it that unique ‘80s vibe these types of films loved to promote.

Some of the special effects are a bit weak, but otherwise the visuals are quite nice. The film was lensed by cinematographer Ernest Vincze (Kevin Brownlow’s Winstanley, James Ivory’s Roseland).

Biggles: Adventures in Time Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Hough's arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Odeon Entertainment/Screenbound Pictures.

There are a couple of short segments with small density fluctuations, but the rest of the film looks quite nice in high-definition. Indeed, the release has been sourced from a lovely master and with some specific optimizations and an overall better encoding the film could have looked very impressive. A lot of the daylight close-ups, for instance, boast very nice depth (see screencaptures #1 and 3). Clarity is also very good, though during a few of the action scenes some minor fluctuations can be spotted. Generally speaking, the darker/nighttime footage looks quite good, but it is here that minor adjustments could have been made to ensure better results. Grain, in particular, could have been better defined and exposed (see screencapture #10 where it looks as if it is overwhelmed by light noise). There are no traces of recent problematic sharpening adjustments. Colors appear natural -- the primaries are stable and there is a fairly good range of nuances. I think that some can be healthier, but the basic color values are certainly very good. There are no stability issues. There are no large damage marks, cuts, debris, scratches, or torn frames to report in our review. Transitions are also good. My score is 3.75/50. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc' main menu).

Biggles: Adventures in Time Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

Half the charm of this film comes from Stanislas' excellent retro synth soundtrack. Luckily, the lossless track handles it as best as I hoped it would. Indeed, where the synth themes are used to enhance the desired atmosphere they sound lush, clean, and very sharp. During the action sequences dynamic intensity is also very good, though the original limitations of the production are fairly obvious. The dialog is stable, clean, and easy to follow, but optional English SDH subtitles should have been included for folks that may need them.

Biggles: Adventures in Time Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

NOTE: The trailer for the film cannot be viewed on standard North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3 and PS4.

• Trailer - original trailer for Biggles: Adventures in Time. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, PAL).

Biggles: Adventures in Time Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is true that Biggles: Adventures in Time isn't a flawless films, but if seen at the right time and with the right set of expectations it could be quite entertaining. Its biggest strength is probably the excellent '80s atmosphere which makes the action and even some of the silly twists surprisingly effective. The Blu-ray release is sourced from a lovely master and the overwhelming majority of the film looks very good in high-definition. RECOMMENDED.