Time Bandits (1981)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Terry Gilliam

Writers:

Michael Palin (written by) &
Terry Gilliam (written by)

Release Date:

6 November 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

All the dreams you've ever had and not just the good ones

Plot:

A young boy accidently joins a band of dwarves as they jump from time-period to time-period looking for treasure to steal.

Plot Keywords:

Treasure | Dwarf | Fortress | Map | Evil

Awards:

1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

John Cleese	...	Robin Hood
Sean Connery	...	King Agamemnon / Fireman
Shelley Duvall	...	Dame Pansy / Pansy
Katherine Helmond	...	Mrs. Ogre
Ian Holm	...	Napoleon
Michael Palin	...	Vincent
Ralph Richardson	...	Supreme Being
Peter Vaughan	...	Winston the Ogre
David Warner	...	Evil Genius
David Rappaport	...	Randall
Kenny Baker	...	Fidgit
Malcolm Dixon	...	Strutter
Mike Edmonds	...	Og
Jack Purvis	...	Wally
Tiny Ross	...	Vermin

Runtime:

116 min | USA:110 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-11 (VET id: 90845) | France:U | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Haywood, Birch Hill, Bracknell, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

HandMade Films

Trivia:

The footage of the Titanic sinking is from A Night to Remember (1958) colorized and slowed down.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Toward the end of the movie the bandits steal back the map. The creatures begin to chase after them and one of them shoots "missiles" out of its eyes. The wire these "missiles" travel along are clearly visible.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Announcer: Yes, folks... Moderna Designs present the latest in kitchen luxury. The Moderna Wonder Major All Automatic Convenience Center-ette gives you all the time in the world to do the things you really want to do... An infrared freezer-oven complex that can make you a meal from packet to plate in 15 1/2 seconds.
Kevin's Mother: Morrisons have got one that can do that in eight seconds.
Kevin's Father: Oh?
Kevin's Mother: Block of ice to Beef Bourguignon in eight seconds. Lucky things.
Kevin: Dad, did you know that the ancient Greek warriors had to learn 44 different ways of unarmed combat?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Don't Crash: The Documentary of the Making of the Movie of the Book of the Radio Series of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Dream Away

History By Way of Gilliam

For my money, Terry Gilliam is one of the more innovative, creative, and fantastical directors of the last two decades. His films easily bear his stamp of absurdist humour, witty dialogue, sheer fantasy, dream-like sequences, and always a generous dose of black comedy. Time Bandits is certainly no exception, but rather a stepping stone for greater works such as The Fisher King and the wonderful Brazil. The film tells the story of a group of dwarf-like "crooks" who leave their jobs with God(the Supreme Being) for a life of crime via a map they have "stolen" from their job place. This map holds all the secrets to time holes in the fabric of creation. Thus the bearers of the map can go forward and back in time as they please. They use the map to steal, at which they have little skill, and become rich, at which they miserably fail. Gilliam transports them and us through time to meet such interesting notables as Robin Hood, Napoleon, Agammenon, and the Evil Genius(devil-like entity). The film is grand in its scope and still wanting, for it is tackling a story of epic proportions. Still, Gilliam delivers a pretty good film both visually stunning in certain sequences and brimming with philosophical questions such as the necessity of evil and the election of choice in life. The film is also very funny in many parts, due in large part to a great cast. The protagonists are all quite good. John Cleese plays as likable a Robin Hood to be seen with his almost overly polite manner. The best performances go to Ian Holm, playing a drunken Napoleon obsessed with his size, David Warner, playing the malevolent Evil Genius with relish, and lastly to Sir Ralph Richardson, playing the Supreme Being like a bureaucrat concerned with balancing payroll and the like. Gilliam explores the bureaucratic mentality with even more scope in his Brazil. All in all, Time Bandits is a fun and entertaining picture.