h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: 'Biggles' - the Film - A87864600
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

If I said something was a good or bad film, that would be a personal opinion. However, if critics have consistently said over a period of time that a film is bad, then is it still only an opinion?

The facts are these: 'Biggles' has been constantly heavily criticised by film critics and fans of the books for its plot. 'Biggles' did not win any major awards. The producers who made 'Biggles' said in the press at the time of release wanted it to be the first in a series of films that would rival Bond, however it flopped and so they failed to achieve their stated aims.

Frustratingly, there is a fun film in there desperately trying to get out. I'd love to see that film, the one starring Peter Cushing and set entirely in 1917 without any time travel. This only goes to show that people don't spend this much time and effort in trying to make a bad film. If someone tries hard to succeed and does, that's what is expected; failure is fascinating.

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This is a good explanation of how bad this film was. I enjoyed the Biggles film - as a piece of drivel. I was never under any impression that it was anything resembling a good film. Nevertheless, the phrase "If you can fly a Sopwith Camel, you can fly anything" is still repeated regularly in our household.


Now for the usual nitpicking.
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Choice of Words:

who despite having travelled all the way to New York just to talk to Jim, doesn't want to anymore. -- this doesn't sound quite right. I'd say "doesn't seem in the mood for conversation"

Biggles met Ginger appeared in the mid-war era. -- not only does this not make sense, but it's also not clear which of the two wars you mean.

In 1979 the draft first 'Biggles' screenplay was written -- do you mean the draft of the first 'Biggles' screenplay? Or the first draft of the 'Biggles' screenplay?

Stepney and Beckton4, Chislehurst in Kent, Bogborough and Cranfield in Bedfordshire -- This list is a bit of a mess. Are Stepney and Beckton both in London, and that's why there's an 'and' between them? If so, you should put 'in London' after them to make it clear that they are one item in the list. If not, change the 'and' to a comma. Secondly, 'Bogborough and Cranfield in Bedfordshire' is one item in the list, so you should put 'and' before Bogborough.

before being exploded -- I think this would be better as 'before exploding'

and faced in a space dogfight the black-helmeted Vader ... and faces in an aerial dogfight the black-helmeted von Stalhein

This sounds as if it was translated from German! It would flow much better the other way around:

and faced the black-helmeted Vader in a space dogfight ... and faces the black-helmeted von Stalhein in an aerial dogfight

who Jim has only employed as his uncle runs the bank financing Jim's company

-- this gives the initial impression that Jim has employed him as his uncle, then forces the reader to start the sentence again to figure it out. Reword it using 'because':

who Jim has only employed because his uncle runs the bank financing Jim's company

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Typos, spelling etc:

who asks if anything has strange has happened -- remove the first "has"

such as well-known and fondly remembered character -->
such a well-known and fondly remembered character

bandwaggon --> bandwagon

one of coldest winters on record -->
one of the coldest winters on record

Instead of a desolate landscape covered in bomb craters and there are picture-perfect, untouched forests -- change the 'and' after craters to a comma.

waist height --> waist deep

to see Biggles' land a biplane -- remove the apostrophe

ignorant the events of his own past -->
ignorant of the events of his own past

The footnote about Porkins needs a few spaces after the commas.

spitfire -- should this be capitalised?

"I enjoyed the Biggles film - as a piece of drivel."

Sums up my thinking about this film too

"purchased the rights to all 97 Biggles books. Quite why he did so seems a bit of a mystery; by the time the film was released it was apparent that all 97 books had not only been ignored but shredded, chucked out the window and had their remains jumped and stamped on by the neighbour's tantruming toddler."

I find this paragraph hard to follow. I read the section as saying that it wasn't a mystery that the rights were purchased, because the plans were for a series, even though it turned out that the series didn't use the books after all. I also think there needs to be a word in there such as "metaphorically" as I had to read it twice to realise he didn't literally shred books, but shredded the plots... And then again, Bond has a licence to shred when it comes to plots in books, so perhaps Walwin had more of an idea of what he wanted to do than he's given credit for here, even though it didn't turn out to be successful like Bond...

"If you can fly a Sopwith Camel, you can fly anything.
- Biggles, Biggles."

Is the second Biggles this film? Looks funny Biggles, Biggles!

"before being exploded -- I think this would be better as 'before exploding'"

Or else it is "before being blown up"?

"the only solo release by John Deacon of Queen" - I think that needs tweaking a bit, as it wasn't exactly a solo release by John, it was his little band who released it. Ha - footnote 6 - like it!

Is "religious transvestite bank robber" a quote from the film?

That was something I laughed at a lot, that Biggles could fly the helicopter after just seeing it for the first time!

"a machine-gunning madman" - should 'madman' be in inverted commas, as he wasn't what is known as "mad" but was only thought to be so? (Or is that the definition of "mad"? )

"It is a film that you can see is trying very, very hard to be good but never quite managing it."

I think the end note could be made stronger - rather than not quite managing to be good, is it that it fails to be good? I like your line about the bad moments sabotaging the good ones Or you could maybe reorder it to say something like:

"Overall, there can be no denying that a lot of time and effort was spent on making this film, as it has some really good moments. It is a film that you can see is trying very, very hard to be good but never quite managing it. Frustratingly, whenever one good moment appears a truly dreadful one is not far behind, sabotaging all that they have achieved. "

Thanks for the read through – changes made.

It is true that the Bond films also have changed the plots of the books from 'Diamonds are Forever' onwards, however one key difference is that when Ian Fleming sold the rights to some of his books, especially 'The Spy Who Loved Me', he did so on the condition that the plot of the film would be different to the book. Ian Fleming wanted his books changed, Captain WE Johns wasn't asked,

"If you can fly a Sopwith Camel, you can fly anything.
- Biggles, Biggles."

Yes, the second 'Biggles' is the film (which is why it is in italics) with the first one the name of character quoted, and the second the film being quoted.

"the only solo release by John Deacon of Queen" - I think that needs tweaking a bit, as it wasn't exactly a solo release by John, it was his little band who released it.
- You're right, although 'solo' is used to describe 'John Lennon's solo years', even when he was in the Plastic Ono Band, or 'Paul McCartney's solo career', including Wings.

'Is "religious transvestite bank robber" a quote from the film?'
Yep – Raymond gives Jim a bag full of a Great War soldier's equipment, including weaponry, which he doesn't take with him when he goes back in time in the middle of having a wash. Undressed, he finds himself in a Convent and so dresses as a nun. When he returns to the present he is still dressed as a nun so when Chuck sees him dressed as a nun and having a bag full of weapons, that is the conclusion he comes to.

Now, if we're going to pick apart the film on such small details as how Biggles can fly a helicopter instantly, I'll have to start mentioning other small matters, such as how Raymond conveniently keeps abseiling ropes next to his kettle just in case they are needed for a plot device.

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Thanks <BB<

I didn't know that about the Bond books/films

I also didn't know that about "solo", but it still might need tweaking as John is also credited with 'Picking Up Sounds' as well as 'No Turning Back' (although I see I couldn't squeeze that one into my JD Entry...). Deleting the word "solo" would work, though.

So the phrase 'religious transvestite bank robber' should be in quotes both times

You already do mention the detail about Biggles and the helicopter, so that's great - no change needed

Funnily enough, one of today's Pop Master questions on Radio 2 was 'Which Spice Girl was the first to have a solo number one with what song?' and the answer was 'I Want You Back' by Mel B & Missy Elliott.

Wasn't 'Picking Up Sound' a guest appearance on someone else's record, rather than a John Deacon song? If so, it doesn't really count, but I could be wrong.

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How coincidental!

It is an odd one, Picking Up Sounds, but he did co write it as well as play on the record, so it is credited to him in the official biography for fans, unlike his guest appearances...

The phrase I changed it to earlier was 'This enjoyable song is the only solo release by John Deacon of Queen's short-lived band The Immortals'. If it is credited to John Deacon and not The Immortals, presumably I don't need to tweak that bit? (Which is good as I'm on a laptop and don't have my USB stick with me right now - I make updates on the saved version in Word and then copy/paste into the online version).

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Okay, I've put 'Picking Up Sounds' in a footnote.

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Does anyone else have any comments about this?

1.

for playing the similarly-named Maria in 'Allo 'Allo, making it very difficult to take the scenes in which she appears seriously

For people who don't know 'Allo 'Allo this won't make much sense. Perhaps put "the comedy series 'Allo 'Allo".

2.
the only solo release by John Deacon of Queen's short-lived band The Immortals

What does 'solo' mean in this? Does it mean that John Deacon was solo, and not playing with the band the Immortals?

3.

"Overall, there can be no denying that a lot of time and effort was spent on making this film, as it has some really enjoyable moments. It is a film that you can see is trying very, very hard to be good but never quite managing it"

The repetition from "making this film" and then "It is a film" is irritating. Change the second sentence to:

You can see that it is trying very, very hard to be good but never quite managing it

Thanks for your comments there, excellent points as always.

I've added that 'Allo 'Allo is a comedy series – which reminds me that I've been intending to write an entry or so about 'Allo 'Allo for years – deleted the word 'solo' and deleted the film repetition

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Thanks. I'm happy with this now.

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