Time Bandits
More than just a quirky 1981 fantasy adventure film, "Time Bandits" is a vibrant journey into the boundless imagination of director Terry Gilliam, weaving together history, humor, and profound philosophical questions. This cult classic invites us to peer through the cracks of spacetime alongside a young boy and a band of renegade dwarfs, promising a wild ride through history where anything can happen—and often does. What makes this film resonate decades later is its audacious blend of childlike wonder and sophisticated satire, leaving audiences to ponder the nature of good, evil, and destiny. Terry Gilliam's "Time Bandits" originated as a "family film" during a production hiccup for "Brazil," yet it delivers Gilliam's signature blend of imaginative escapism and societal critique. The film boasts an eclectic, star-studded cast, including a memorable Sean Connery, who contributed to its unique charm despite taking nominal fees. "Time Bandits" is not just a whimsical adventure but the first installment in Gilliam's "Trilogy of Imagination," exploring the human desire to escape societal constraints through fantasy, viewed through different life stages.
AI Summary
More than just a quirky 1981 fantasy adventure film, "Time Bandits" is a vibrant journey into the boundless imagination of director Terry Gilliam, weaving together history, humor, and profound philosophical questions. This cult classic invites us to peer through the cracks of spacetime alongside a young boy and a band of renegade dwarfs, promising a wild ride through history where anything can happen—and often does. What makes this film resonate decades later is its audacious blend of childlike wonder and sophisticated satire, leaving audiences to ponder the nature of good, evil, and destiny.
- Terry Gilliam's "Time Bandits" originated as a "family film" during a production hiccup for "Brazil," yet it delivers Gilliam's signature blend of imaginative escapism and societal critique.
- The film boasts an eclectic, star-studded cast, including a memorable Sean Connery, who contributed to its unique charm despite taking nominal fees.
- "Time Bandits" is not just a whimsical adventure but the first installment in Gilliam's "Trilogy of Imagination," exploring the human desire to escape societal constraints through fantasy, viewed through different life stages.
A Journey Through Time and Imagination
Imagine a map... not of Earth, but of the very fabric of spacetime itself! This is the fantastical premise of "Time Bandits," a wildly inventive 1981 British film that thrusts a young boy into an adventure across history with a group of treasure-hunting dwarfs. It's a tale where logic takes a backseat to pure, unadulterated imagination.
This cinematic gem sprang from the mind of Terry Gilliam, fresh off a creative roadblock trying to get his dystopian masterpiece "Brazil" off the ground. He proposed a 'family film' instead, co-writing it with fellow Monty Python member Michael Palin. Backed by ex-Beatle George Harrison's HandMade Films, this project became an unexpected box office hit, grossing $36 million against a $5 million budget.
Gilliam's Trilogy of Imagination
For Gilliam, "Time Bandits" was more than a standalone flick—it was the very first chapter in what he calls his "Trilogy of Imagination." This series, which includes "Brazil" (1985) and "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" (1988), explores a common thread: the human desire to escape society's awkward order through the power of imagination.
Each film in the trilogy approaches this theme from a different perspective: "Time Bandits" through the eyes of a child, "Brazil" through a man in his thirties, and "Baron Munchausen" through an elderly man. Together, they form a fascinating study of escapism and fantasy across life's stages.
The Stolen Map: An Overview of Chaos
Our story begins with Kevin, a young boy obsessed with history, whose gadget-addicted parents barely notice him. One night, his wardrobe becomes a portal, first for a knight, then for six dwarfs who've just made off with a cosmic map of spacetime holes. Before they can make their escape, a menacing, disembodied head—the Supreme Being—appears, demanding his map back!
Kevin is swept along as the dwarfs, former employees of the Supreme Being, plunge into history, using the map to pilfer treasures. Their first stop? The Battle of Castiglione in Napoleonic Italy. This motley crew of Randall, Fidgit, Strutter, Og, Wally, and Vermin are out for profit, traversing centuries with chaotic abandon.
Their whirlwind tour brings them face-to-face with historical legends like Napoleon Bonaparte and even Robin Hood, with Kevin dutifully documenting their escapades with his Polaroid camera. Unbeknownst to them, their actions are being watched by an even greater, more malevolent force: Evil, who desperately wants the map for his own nefarious purposes.
Kevin soon finds himself separated from the group, landing in Mycenaean Greece where he befriends and is adopted by King Agamemnon. But the dwarfs soon track him down and, much to his chagrin, pull him away from royal comfort. Their next chaotic jump lands them on the ill-fated RMS Titanic, a harrowing experience they barely survive.
Evil eventually traps them in his desolate realm, the Time of Legends, luring them with the promise of "The Most Fabulous Object in the World." Imprisoned in a cage over a bottomless pit, Kevin's trusty Polaroids reveal a vital clue: a spacetime hole visible in a photo of the map itself. They quickly plot their escape.
In a climactic confrontation, the dwarfs return with a bizarre assortment of warriors and fighting machines from across time, but Evil effortlessly—and comically—defeats them all. Just as he prepares to unleash his ultimate power, a sudden burst of flames reduces him to charcoal. From the smoke emerges... the impeccably suited Supreme Being.
The Supreme Being reveals that the entire adventure was merely a test, and the dwarfs were allowed to 'borrow' his map. He instructs them to collect the dangerous fragments of concentrated Evil. With the map recovered, he departs with the dwarfs, leaving Kevin behind, as one smoldering piece of Evil is overlooked.
Kevin awakens in his smoke-filled bedroom, rescued by firefighters from a toaster oven fire. One fireman eerily resembles Agamemnon, and Kevin discovers his Polaroids are real. His parents, however, ignore his warning about the smoldering piece of Evil in the toaster... with explosive, shoe-shaped consequences. The film ends with Kevin, a tiny figure on Earth, being rolled up in the map by the Supreme Being—a final, cosmic wink.
Crafting the Chaos: Behind the Scenes
One of the film's most memorable elements is its eclectic, star-studded cast. Sean Connery, for instance, ended up as King Agamemnon almost by chance! The script famously called for 'Sean Connery or an actor of equal but cheaper stature,' and as a fan of Monty Python, Connery agreed to the role for a nominal fee, in exchange for a share of the gross profits.
The role of Robin Hood was originally earmarked for Michael Palin, but John Cleese ultimately took the part, considered more 'bankable.' Cleese modeled his comically stiff, aristocratic Robin Hood on the Duke of Kent's interactions with footballers. Meanwhile, Palin and Shelley Duvall embraced charmingly quirky recurring roles as Vincent and Pansy.
Casting the Supreme Being presented another delightful challenge. Legendary actor Ralph Richardson was chosen because, as Gilliam put it, he was considered 'pretty much near God in the acting profession.' Richardson took the role with utmost seriousness, even critiquing his own lines: 'God wouldn't say that,' he'd reportedly remark.
Other notable casting tales include Katherine Helmond securing the role of Mrs. Ogre over a reluctant Gilda Radner, and Jonathan Pryce passing on the role of Evil for a different film, citing financial reasons at the time. Each choice, whether by design or serendipity, added to the film's distinctive character.
Filming and Artistic Choices
Gilliam filmed "Time Bandits" on diverse locations, with Raglan Castle doubling as Castiglione, Epping Forest as Sherwood, and the ancient Moroccan village of Aït Benhaddou as Agamemnon's palace. He deliberately shot from a low camera angle to capture a 'kid's point of view' and surrounded the young protagonist with actors of similar stature to enhance this perspective.
Even after filming, the creative process continued to spark debate. Gilliam famously clashed with producer Denis O'Brien over the film's famously downbeat ending. In the end, George Harrison, the film's financier, even wrote and performed the closing credits song, "Dream Away," whose lyrics subtly commented on Gilliam's intense filmmaking style.
An Enduring Legacy
"Time Bandits" charmed critics upon its release, earning a stellar 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 'generally favorable' 79 on Metacritic. Reviewers lauded it as a 'marvellous cinematic tonic' and a 'sumptuous new classic,' praising its fantastical design and unique blend of humor and imagination.
While many embraced its originality, some critics like Roger Ebert felt its 'breakneck pace' sometimes undermined its comedic timing. Nonetheless, its unique vision ensured it stood out, securing its place on lists like Empire magazine's '50 best kids' movies' and Time magazine's 'Top 10 Time-Travel Movies.'
Beyond critical acclaim, the film left a mark on popular culture. Notably, game designer Richard Garriott cited "Time Bandits" as a direct inspiration for his 1982 game "Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress." He watched the film roughly twenty times, even recreating the spacetime map to inform his game's 'time doors' mechanic.
The Story Continues...
The allure of "Time Bandits" has spanned decades, leading to a Marvel Comics adaptation in 1982. A planned sequel in 1996, with a script by Gilliam and Charles McKeown, was ultimately shelved due to the unfortunate passing of several key cast members.
However, the story is far from over! In 2018, Apple acquired the rights to develop a television series for Apple TV+. With Terry Gilliam onboard as executive producer and Taika Waititi co-writing and directing the pilot, a new generation is set to discover the chaotic charm of "Time Bandits," starring Lisa Kudrow among others.
Article
Time Bandits
Time Bandits is a 1981 British fantasy adventure film co-written, produced, and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars David Rappaport, Sean Connery, John Cleese, Shelley Duvall, Ralph Richardson, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Peter Vaughan, and David Warner. The film tells the story of a young boy taken on an adventure through time with a band of thieves who plunder treasure from various points in history.
In 1979, Terry Gilliam was unable to set up the film Brazil; therefore, he proposed a family film. Time Bandits was co-written with fellow Monty Python Michael Palin, financed by ex-Beatle George Harrison's HandMade Films and filmed in England, Morocco, and Wales. The film was released in cinemas on 2 July 1981 in the United Kingdom and on 6 November 1981 in the United States. On its initial release, the film received mainly positive reviews from critics; it opened at number one at the weekend box office in the US and Canada, and, by the end of its run, grossed $36 million on a budget of $5 million.
Gilliam has referred to Time Bandits as the first in his "Trilogy of Imagination", followed by Brazil (1985) and ending with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988).
Plot
Time Bandits
Kevin is a young boy fascinated by history, particularly that of Ancient Greece. His parents ignore his activities, having become obsessed with buying the latest household gadgets. One night, as Kevin sleeps, an armoured knight on a horse bursts out of his wardrobe. Kevin hides under the covers as the knight rides off into a forest where his bedroom wall was; when Kevin looks again, the room returns to normal, and he finds one of his photos on the wall similar to the forest he saw. The next night, he prepares a satchel with supplies and a Polaroid camera but is surprised when six dwarfs spill out of the wardrobe. Kevin quickly learns the group has stolen a map and is looking for an exit from his room before they are discovered. They find that the bedroom wall leads to a portal. Kevin hesitates to join until the apparition of a floating, menacing head—the Supreme Being—appears behind them, demanding the map's return. Kevin and the dwarves find an empty void at the end of the hallway.
They land in Italy during the Battle of Castiglione. As they recover, Kevin learns that Randall is the lead dwarf of the group, which also includes Fidgit, Strutter, Og, Wally, and Vermin. The Supreme Being once employed them to repair holes in the spacetime fabric, but the dwarves realised the potential to use the map that identifies these holes to steal riches and escape via time/space travel. With Kevin's help, they visit several locations in spacetime and meet figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Robin Hood. Kevin uses his camera to document their visits. However, they are unaware that their activities are being monitored by Evil, a malevolent being who can manipulate reality and is attempting to acquire the map.
Kevin becomes separated from the group and ends up in Mycenaean Greece, meeting King Agamemnon. After Kevin inadvertently helps Agamemnon kill a Minotaur, the king adopts him. Randall and the others soon locate Kevin and abduct him, much to his resentment, and escape through another hole, arriving on the RMS Titanic. After it sinks, they tread water while arguing with each other. Evil manipulates the group and transports them to his realm, the Time of Legends. After surviving encounters with ogres and a giant, Kevin and the dwarves locate the Fortress of Ultimate Darkness and are led to believe that "The Most Fabulous Object in the World" awaits them, luring them into Evil's trap. Evil takes the map and locks the group in a cage over a bottomless pit. While looking through the Polaroids he took, Kevin finds one that includes the map, and the group realises that there is a hole near them. They escape from the cage, and Kevin distracts their pursuers while the others go through the hole.
Evil confronts Kevin and takes the map from him. The dwarves return with various warriors and fighting machines from across time, but Evil effortlessly and comically defeats them all. As Kevin and the dwarves cower, Evil prepares to unleash his ultimate power. Suddenly, he is engulfed in flames and burned into charcoal; from the smoke, a besuited elderly man emerges, revealed as the Supreme Being. He reveals that he allowed the dwarves to borrow his map, and the whole adventure had been a test. He orders the dwarves to collect the pieces of concentrated Evil, warning that they can be deadly. After recovering the map, he allows the dwarves to rejoin him in his creation duties. The Supreme Being disappears with the dwarfs, leaving Kevin behind as a missed piece of Evil begins to smoulder.
Kevin awakens in his bedroom and finds it filled with smoke. Firefighters break down the door and rescue him as they put out a fire in his house. One of the firemen finds that his parents' new toaster oven caused the fire. As Kevin recovers, he finds one of the firemen resembles Agamemnon and discovers that he still has the photos from his adventure. Kevin's parents discover a smouldering rock in the toaster oven. Recognising it as a piece of Evil, Kevin warns them not to touch it, but they ignore him, do so, and explode, leaving only their shoes. As the Agamemnon-firefighter winks at the boy before leaving, Kevin approaches the smoking shoes and is seen from above as his figure grows smaller, revealing the planet and outer space, before being rolled up in the map by the Supreme Being.
Production
Development
In November 1979, Terry Gilliam developed the concept for Time Bandits after he had started work on Brazil. Monty Python manager and producer Denis O'Brien had difficulty understanding the concept of Brazil, so Gilliam decided on the idea of a family film. O'Brien had set up HandMade Films in London for the former Beatle George Harrison to produce Life of Brian and the initiative was to produce more films with Python talent. When Gilliam's pitch was accepted he co-wrote the script with fellow Python Michael Palin.
Casting
Sean Connery was cast as Agamemnon after he met producer O'Brien on a golf course. A reference in the script introduced the character with the joke description: "Removing his helmet reveals himself to be none other than Sean Connery or an actor of equal but cheaper stature". Connery was a Python fan and agreed to do the role for a nominal fee in return for a share of the gross profits.
The part of Robin Hood was originally written for Palin but John Cleese was eventually cast as his name was considered more bankable. Palin decided to appear with Shelley Duvall in the small recurring roles of Vincent and Pansy. Cleese based his performance on the Duke of Kent by watching him having meaningless conversations with footballers at the FA Cup Final during the team line-up before the match. Cleese remarked: "It always struck me as the most extraordinary ritual, the complete futility of that walking up and down thing".
Ralph Richardson's casting as the Supreme Being was because he was regarded "pretty much near God in the acting profession". Richardson took his role seriously, marking out his lines in red ink and occasionally saying, "God wouldn't say that".
Ruth Gordon and Gilda Radner were considered for the role of Mrs Ogre. Palin felt Gordon was the best choice but she had to drop out after sustaining an injury shooting Any Which Way You Can. The studio wanted Radner considering her bankable, but Gilliam campaigned for Katherine Helmond due to the popularity of the TV comedy Soap.
Jonathan Pryce was offered the role of Evil but opted for another film (Loophole) for a higher fee as "he was broke" at the time.
Filming
Filming was partly on location with Raglan Castle standing in for Castiglione delle Stiviere, Epping Forest as Sherwood Forest and Aït Benhaddou as Agamemnon's palace in Mycenae. Interior scenes were filmed at Lee International Film Studios. Gilliam said he wanted to film from a "kid's point of view" and therefore shot from a low camera angle. He also said, "fearing a child wouldn't sustain the film ... let's surround him with people of a similar height".
During post-production, Gilliam had argued about changing the story's downbeat ending with O'Brien, who was also pressuring him to include some of Harrison's songs. Harrison eventually wrote and performed the closing credits song "Dream Away". The lyrics contained Harrison's comments on Time Bandits and on Gilliam's behaviour during the making of the film.
Japanese release
The theatrical release in Japan was 1983. At cinemas outside of major metropolitan areas, preview screenings were shown as a double feature alongside the domestic production Harmagedon. Therefore, for commercial reasons on the part of the distributor who wanted to sell it as a children's programme, editing was carried out in a manner unique to Japan that "neglected the true intent of the work." Part of the scene of Robin Hood and the cannibal couple, and the last scene where the parents disappear were cut, resulting in a running time of approximately 103 minutes, approximately 13 minutes shorter than the original.
The last scene was used uncut when it was aired on TV ("Sunday Western Movie Theater" broadcast on 10 January 1988). Each videogram version (LD, DVD, Blu-ray) released in Japan is the original full-length version.
Reception
Box office
The film was released in the US on 6 November 1981 and opened at number one at the box office for the weekend, grossing $6,507,356 from 821 theatres. The film remained number one for 4 weeks and grossed $36 million in the United States and Canada on a budget of $5 million (£2.2 million), and was the 13th highest-grossing film of the year in North America.
The film was re-released in the US on 12 November 1982 and grossed a further $6 million to take its gross to $42.4 million in the United States and Canada.
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 91% rating based on 54 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The consensus states: "Time Bandits is a remarkable time-travel fantasy from Terry Gilliam, who utilises fantastic set design and homemade special effects to create a vivid, original universe". On Metacritic, it received a weighted average rating of 79 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
The film had mainly positive reviews. Gary Arnold of The Washington Post said it was "a marvellous cinematic tonic, a sumptuous new classic in the tradition of time-travel and fairy-tale adventure". David Ansen of Newsweek considered it "at once sophisticated and childlike in its magical but emotionally cool logic ... a wonderful wild card in the fall movie season". Vincent Canby of The New York Times said it was "a cheerfully irreverent lark – part fairy tale, part science fiction and part comedy".
Other critics gave the film less praise. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said: "I'm usually fairly certain whether or not I've seen a good movie. But my reaction to Time Bandits was ambiguous. I had great admiration for what was physically placed on the screen ... But I was disappointed by the breathless way the dramatic scenes were handled and by a breakneck pace that undermined the most important element of comedy, which is timing". Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune thought it was "an uneven special effects extravaganza ... Unfortunately, there are just too many visits to famous people". British critic Leslie Halliwell gave it one of four stars: "Curious tall tale in which schoolboy fantasy alternates with violence and black comedy. In general much less funny than it intended to be, but with some hilarious moments." Pauline Kael stated: "Gilliam has a cacophonous imagination; even the magical incongruities are often cancelled out by the incessant buzz of cleverness ... The director doesn't shape the material satisfyingly; this may be one of those rare pictures that suffers from a surfeit of good ideas."
C. J. Henderson reviewed Time Bandits for Pegasus magazine and stated that "To sum up briefly, Time Bandits is not essentially a comedy. What it is, is fast-paced, irreverent, damn funny, and damn entertaining. And, compared to a lot of films which have come out this year, that is almost more than one could hope for." C. J. Henderson reviewed Time Bandits for the following issue of Pegasus magazine and stated that "unlike movies like the classic Wizard of Oz, there is no sentiment in Time Bandits. The film is a confusing, somewhat tragic tale; this does not make it unenjoyable, but it does make it different. For many people, it was too different."
Legacy
Gilliam has referred to Time Bandits as the first in his "Trilogy of Imagination", followed by Brazil (1985) and ending with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988). All are about the "craziness of our awkwardly ordered society and the desire to escape it through whatever means possible". All three films focus on these struggles and attempts to escape them through imagination: Time Bandits through the eyes of a child, Brazil through the eyes of a man in his thirties, and Munchausen through the eyes of an elderly man.
The film is ranked No. 22 on Empire magazine's "The 50 best kids' movies". It is listed as one of Time magazine's "Top 10 Time-Travel Movies".
Game designer Richard Garriott was inspired by Time Bandits while creating the 1982 game Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress, stating that he watched the film about 20 times to create a copy of the time map, as his game would feature a similar mechanic of "time doors" and the game's box even had a similar cloth map inside.
Home media
Time Bandits
The film was originally released in December 1982 on Betamax, VHS, Video 2000 and CED Videodisc in the UK and on VHS in the US the same year.
In 1997, it was released on LaserDisc by The Criterion Collection and includes commentary by Gilliam and Palin, Cleese, Warner and Warnock. It also includes a Time Bandits Scrapbook.
In 1999, a DVD was released by Criterion with the original 1997 LaserDisc features and the theatrical trailer. The same year Anchor Bay Entertainment released a version with no extras or special features. In 2004, Anchor Bay released the DVD as a Divimax edition on two discs with special features but no commentary. The features include the AFI's 'The Films of Terry Gilliam' documentary; an interview with Gilliam and Palin; theatrical trailers; Gilliam's bio; and a DVD-ROM with the original screenplay and a fold-out Map of the Universe.
In 2010, a Blu-ray version was released by Anchor Bay and included an interview with Gilliam and a theatrical trailer. In 2013, a Blu-ray version was released by Arrow Films in the UK. The original 35mm negative was scanned at 2K resolution and the restoration was approved by Gilliam. In 2014, a Blu-ray was released by Criterion as a new 2K digital restoration and includes the original commentary from the 1997 LaserDisc by Gilliam and Palin, Cleese, Warner and Warnock; a feature with production designer Milly Burns and costume designer James Acheson; a 1998 conversation between Gilliam and film scholar Peter von Bagh; a 1981 appearance by Shelley Duvall on Tom Snyder's The Tomorrow Show; a photo gallery; the theatrical trailer; and an insert that has a reproduction of the Map of the Universe on one side and an essay by David Sterritt on the other. In 2023, a 4K UHD version was released by Arrow Films and Criterion, again with the transfer supervised by Gilliam, including the same special features as the earlier 2K version.
Comic book adaptation
Time Bandits
Marvel Comics published a comic book adaptation of the film in February 1982. It was written by Steve Parkhouse and drawn by David Lloyd and John Stokes.
Planned sequel
Time Bandits
Gilliam and Charles McKeown wrote a script for Time Bandits II in 1996 and planned to bring back the original cast, except for David Rappaport and Tiny Ross who had since died. When Jack Purvis died the following year, the sequel was shelved.
Television series
Time Bandits
In July 2018, it was announced that Apple Inc. had gained rights and closed a deal with Anonymous Content, Paramount Television Studios, and MRC Television to develop a television series version of the Terry Gilliam film, also entitled Time Bandits, to distribute on Apple TV+, with Gilliam on board set to serve only as executive producer (thus in a non-writing production role) and Taika Waititi set to co-write and direct the pilot. Lisa Kudrow stars alongside Kal-El Tuck, Charlyne Yi, Tadhg Murphy, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Rune Temte, Kiera Thompson and Rachel House.
Production took place in New Zealand in late 2022 and early 2023.