This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

James Bigglesworth aka Biggles was the hero of a series of 98(!) adventure books written by Captain WE Johns. They followed his adventures as a pilot, starting with the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, and continuing with post-war adventures as a commercial pilot. There was a TV series in the 60s, but the character was never strongly represented on screen until this movie.Let me say at the start that Biggles himself, his much-loved supporting cast (Algy, Bertie and Ginger), the World War I setting and the flying are all perfectly satisfactorily delivered to the screen. Had that been all there was to it, I would have had no hesitation in reporting that this movie was a success.But then we hit the three major negatives. One is the half-*ssed time travel plot. Completely unnecessary and, frankly, not very good. Two, Alec Hyde-White as present-day protagonist Jim Ferguson has more body hair than charisma. And, three, the synthesiser soundtrack music is probably the worst film music ever. No, make that "definitely", not "probably" - synths just do not go with WWI dogfights.I also observe the roaring fire in Peter Cushing's secret headquarters within Tower Bridge, and I wonder where the smoke went since, to the best of my knowledge, there are no chimneys in Tower Bridge.

Great film with all you'd wish for from a Biggles adventure,some great acting and comic moments with action packed storyline and a rather nasty German weapon. Soundtrack fits the film like a glove,abit in the same way Queens music worked with Highlander. For adventure step this way my friends,you're in for one hell of a ride. Film didn't do well at box office I hear,which is strange as I'd have thought this would of been just what most families would go to see or rent out in the 80s,guess it just shows you can't be always right,but really do track it down you'll be in for a treat.If you liked 1980s Flash Gordon then this will be right up you're street as well.

When I saw the name of this movie my first thought was: Wow! Did they actually get around to making a movie based on the old Captain W. E. Johns books? I had read quite a few of them as a kid, and while the characters were somewhat cardboard cut, the stories usually made some kind of sense and were fun to read. Not so the movie! In fact, about the only thing recognizable was the name of some of the characters... I have rarely seen any book(s) massacred the way this movie manages it (only close competitor must be the old Modesty Blaise flick from the sixties....).It is clear that the writer knows absolutely nothing about the Biggles universe - and since he is utterly talentless the movie ends up as a complete downer. My recommendation is to avoid any movie with a script written by this writer. Even when trying to look at it as a parody or comedy it fails, since it is not even funny.....Hopefully they will get around to making a decent Biggles movie at some point - the original stories definitely should make it possible...

I've read a lot of the reviews on here and there are some really negatives views of the filmOK 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