Biggles Adventures In Time


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'Biggles Adventures In Time'

Overview
Queen Involvement
Cast
Storyline & Chapters
DVD Extras


Overview


Directed by John Hough
Produced by Kent Walwin & Pom Oliver
Screenplay written by John Groves & Kent Walwin, based on characters by Captain W. E. Johns

World premiere 22 May 1986
Length 88 minutes.

Queen Involvement


'Biggles' features John Deacon's first, and to date only, solo effort. The track, 'No Turning Back', was written by John and Robert Ahwai, and performed by The Immortals, which featured Lenny Zakatek on vocals. The song was released as a single, together with instrumental and extended versions, in 1986.

The film contains three versions of the track:

The DVD release also adds two further versions:

The film also features a short, 13 second instrumental edit of 'Another One Bites The Dust'. This appears on the DVD at 28:51.


Cast


Jim Ferguson (Alex Hyde White)
Colonel William Raymond (Peter Cushing) (his last role)
Debbie Stevens (Fiona Hutchison)
Chuck (William Hootkins) [who also appeared in 'Flash Gordon']
Captain James 'Biggles' Bigglesworth (Neil Dickson)
Bertie (James Saxon)
Algy (Michael Siberry)
Ginger (Daniel Flynn)
Marie (Francesca Gonshaw)
Eric Von Stalhein (Marcus Gilbert) [Biggles' arch-enemy]

Storyline & Chapters


The film is set in New York and London in 1986 and on the Western Front in Europe, 1917. The basic plot is that Biggles and Jim Ferguson are 'time twins' - each one is transported in time when the other is in great danger. The chapters here refer to the 2003 UK DVD release.
  1. Do You Want To Be A Hero?
    Opening titles. Jim returns home to his flat.
  2. Correct Time
    Jim is visited by Captain William Raymond, who asks him if it has happened yet. William leaves, and Jim starts to prepare a speech when he is transported in time to the Western front, 1917.
  3. Wrong Time
    Biggles plane crashes, and Jim helps him to escape before it explodes. They are then attacked by a German plane and Jim is teleported back to his flat.
  4. Present Tense
    At his work in America, Jim is visited by William Raymond, who asks him about a camera, and Jim tells him that it was lost when the plane exploded.
  5. One Way Mission
    At a product launch party, Jim is teleported back to 1917 and goes with Biggles to photograph a new German weapon from the plane. They are attacked by a German plane but manage to lose it.
  6. Secret Weapon
    The Germans use the new weapon to try to make Biggles crash, but they escape by flying out of range and land safely. Jim is teleported back to the party, still holding the photograph, and goes to London to see William Raymond.
  7. Time Twin
    Jim meets William Raymond at Tower Bridge, and learns about Biggles and that they are 'time twins'. Jim gives William the photograph of the new weapon, and William gives Jim army kit for the next mission.
  8. What's Going On
    In America, Jim's work colleagues Debbie and Chuck decide to fly to London to find Jim.
  9. Betrayed
    Jim is teleported to a nunnery and is discovered by Biggles, Algy, Ginger and Bertie. They meet Marie, a former German spy who betrayed her country to save Biggles. She reveals a map and a plan for the German weapon. They are all surrounded by Germans and captured, except Jim who is dressed as a nun.
  10. Escape
    Biggles, Ginger, Algy and Bertie are to be executed by firing squad, but Jim causes a distraction allowing them to escape.
  11. Mixed Up
    Jim is teleported back to London, dressed as a nun, as Debbie and Chuck arrive. He talks to Debbie about the time travel, and they are both teleported back to 1917.
  12. No Place For A Lady
    The trenches are attacked by Germans, so Biggles and everyone flee down a tunnel and through a cave system, to try to reach the weapon.
  13. Weapons Test
    The group find the weapon, but hear the Germans and are eventually captured. Debbie sprays Mace at a German guard, allowing them to escape as an alarm sounds. They hide in a bunker as the secret weapon is used, which produces a high pitched noise. When they leave the bunker, they discover the smouldering remains of soldiers and weapons.
  14. Cleared Out
    The group are attacked by a German sniper, so Biggles, Algy, Ginger and Bertie go to find him. Meanwhile, more Germans arrive, so Jim shoots at them. He and Debbie are teleported back to London, still shooting at the police.
  15. On The Run
    Jim runs away from the police. A helicopter chases and shoots at him, and Biggles is suddenly teleported to save him. They both go to see William Raymond at the Tower Bridge.
  16. Reunion
    Biggles talks to William Raymond about the developed photograph, time travel, and the German's sound weapon.
  17. Fly Anything
    Biggles and Jim leave the tower, and steal the police helicopter. They are teleported, in the helicopter, back to the Western front.
  18. World War I Helicopter
    The helicopter is chased by a German plane, and they eventually lose it. They find Bertie, Algy and Ginger, then leave to find the secret weapon.
  19. Fight Sound With Sound
    Biggles and Jim fly towards the sound weapon, and use the helicopter's microphone and speaker to destroy it using it's own sound.
  20. Victory Run
    Jim and Biggles return to the trenches, victorious.
  21. Convent Rescue
    Ginger, Algy and Bertie go to the nunnery to attack the Germans. They have a shoot-out, kill the Germans, and go inside. More Germans arrive, but so too do Jim and Biggles in the helicopter, and they kill the Germans. Another German plane arrives and shoots Marie, before Biggles throws a grenade which explodes the plane. Inside the nunnery, Marie eventually recovers
  22. All's Well That Ends Well
    Jim is teleported back to London, and is arrested for shooting the police. William Raymond intervenes, using his special agent card. Jim marries Debbie, but mid-service he is teleported to New Guinea, where Biggles, Algy, Ginger and Bertie are tied up and about to be killed. Jim helps them to escape, and then the end credits roll.

DVD Extras