Blackadder: Back & Forth

1999 "After 10 Years... He's Back!"
7.6| 0h33m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 29 March 1999 Released
Producted By: Tiger Aspect
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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What was a cunning plan from Lord Edmund Blackadder V to fake a time machine on his gullibly incompetent friends, turns out to be the real thing and hurls him and his imbecile underling, Baldrick, through the course of human history.

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Director

Paul Weiland

Production Companies

Tiger Aspect

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Blackadder: Back & Forth Audience Reviews

SunnyHello Nice effects though.
Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film
Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.
XoWizIama Excellent adaptation.
Dr Moo As with any TV reunion show this was going to get a mixed reception. The good news is that what we have here is another cracking entry to the saga of the Blackadders. The bad news is that we probably didn't need it.Edmund tricks Elizabeth, Melchett, George and Darling (whatever happened to Percy?) with a fake time machine, built by Baldrick, to celebrate the millennium. This is Blackadder so of course it all goes horribly wrong when it actually works. What follows is a time-hopping adventure that sees our antiheroes on a mad dash back and forth through time until they eventually get back to the present. In France-occupied Britain. The series never wasted an opportunity to insult the french, and it does so again here (Garlic Pudding?!) with the same no-holds-barred approach as ever.We get to see more new Darlings, which is welcome since that was lacking before, like the frenchman Duc De Darling at the battle of Waterloo a setting that gives us the chance to have Stephen Fry back as the (toned down) Wellington - a nice inclusion from the end of BA3.It's all a bit too silly though. For instance in one scene the only joke is seeing Stephen Fry speak Latin without trousers (because Fry is gay so he must dress like that LOL) and at one point Baldrick kills an entire species with his underpants. Also lacking is he opportunity to revisit old settings. We only get to see the Elizabethan Court, but it's a different set and is an advert for polo mints & Tesco clubcard and all Nurse Bernard does is grin inanely. I know that's all she ever did before, but couldn't she have at least ONE line? That's not too much to ask is it? Apparently it is.Still, can't really complain. This still balances out as a passable episode. It's just a shame that the potential isn't quite fulfilled. This should have been longer, so as to draw more upon the ideas in play here, because then it would've been great. If you want a good Blackadder special try the Christmas episode or comic relief short instead.
Dr Jacques COULARDEAU The first and essential element is the set of actors and first of all Rowan Atkinson. That is pure English comedy based on totally anachronistic and crazy situations, on witty puns that nearly or most of the time have to do with what is generally under the belt of most people but that is floating on top of the mind of these comedians. It is supposed to make you laugh and nothing else and it ridicules all historical characters and situations: Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, Georges VI or some other Prince of Wales, the First World War, Robin Hood and I guess they avoided Peter Pan because he might only be marginally historical, though Pitt Junior is a real hit, definitely under the belt at the level of the comforter, if you see what I mean. It even turns upside down the famous Christmas Carol. As for the Time Machine it is completely twisted around in all directions, back and forth for sure, to make a sort of self-centered social climbing, politically opportunistic remake of Back to the Future more than the Time Machine, but the principle is the same. So Sir Edmund Blackadder finishing King Edmund I is at least hilarious. H.G. Wells is betrayed since for him you cannot change the past and Zemeckis is betrayed just the same since you are not supposed to use your time travelling to recuperate some personal advantage from it. I must say though this type of comedy is light maybe slightly too light, but it is good indeed.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, University Paris 8 Saint Denis, University Paris 12 Créteil, CEGID
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews As nice as it is to see a reunion of the entire cast of the Blackadder franchise, this is only so-so entertainment(and poor Byrne, getting such forgettable lines). It's interesting to see this as produced as something other than a sit-com, with well-done cinematography, special effects and editing. The plot isn't bad, and the concept allows for the writers to mock time periods that they hadn't before, and while this freedom puts the pressure on them to utilize it, they do so most of the time. The story does drive this one so much that little room is left for laughs, unfortunately. Pacing is solid. The production values are quite high. Everything looks great and we believe that we are where and when we are told to be visiting. Acting is all good. The "guests" are magnificent. Atkinson is marvelous as always as the cynical, greedy and self-righteous Edmund. The comedy is fair. Too much reliance on sight gags, and silly, occasionally violent, humor(even some of the gross-out material of the latest season, what gives?), though, and so little(though there is still a note-worthy amount) of the verbal comedy that we know and love this series for. As we are by now used to from these, the shortcomings throughout history is poked fun at through matter-of-factly stating in a satirical manner. This has some of the clever wit of previous productions, but not as much as we're used to. On the plus side, the excellent theme song returns, with a new, fitting text. The DVD comes with the Cavalier Years and Baldrick's Video Diary, that expands into a making-of featurette with behind-the-scenes footage, interviews(with every performer, very cool) and deleted scenes. It's fairly informative. A final goodbye to those that we've come to know and love, but could have been rather a bit better. I recommend this to all fans of the title character. Just don't expect the greatness as we've become used to from his side. 7/10
Jackson Booth-Millard When the Millennium was coming close they built a special building in London called the Millennium Dome, they made this special film to be played in the cinema of the Dome. Richard Curtis and Ben Elton's wonderful comedy sitcom characters have returned after ten years to do a special final edition to the saga (the final member of the Blackadder family, to date). Rowan Atkinson as Lord Edmund Blackadder and his friends George (Hugh Laurie), Melchett (Stephen Fry), Darling (Tim McInnerny) and Lady Elizabeth (Miranda Richardson) sit down to dinner to celebrate the New Year, new Century and Millennium. The very good Baldrick (Tony Robinson) is also there providing a disgusting dinner. Blackadder then tells his chums he has made a time machine, he shows them and he bets them £10,000 each that he can time travel and bring back historical items. They all except the bet and ask for separate items. It's after Baldrick and Blackadder get into the machine and pull a lever that they do actually time travel, but it was meant to be a prank! Also starring Rik Mayall as Robin Hood (Woof!), Colin Firth as William Shakespeare, Kate Moss as Maid Marian and Patsy Byrne as Nursie. It was nominated the BAFTA Situation Comedy Award. Edmund Blackadder was number 3 on The 100 Greatest TV Characters, and he was number 3 on The World's Greatest Comedy Characters. Very good!