Biggles: Adventures in Time feels like two films colliding at full speed. One is an old-fashioned wartime adventure; the other is a glossy mid-eighties fantasy about a New Yorker repeatedly pulled through time. The joins are not neat, but neatness is hardly the point.
The film’s charm lies in how sincerely it commits to every new idea. Aerial action gives way to London landmarks, gadgets and a finale that seems determined to use every toy in the box. It is uneven, frequently ridiculous and powered by the sort of confidence that modern blockbusters often polish away.
Does it still work?
If you need tidy plotting, perhaps not. If you miss family adventures that felt strange, handmade and unmistakably British, there is still plenty to love. The rough edges have become part of the appeal.
Replay rating: 4/5
Verdict: a chaotic time capsule whose ambition is far more lovable than its logic.