Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Time Bandits Blu-ray Movie Review

“Return the map! It will bring you great danger!”

Reviewed by Casey Broadwater August 23, 2010

If there’s one thing missing from most children’s movies today—besides, ahem, originality—it’s a sense of real, palpable, dread-worthy danger. Now, I’m not arguing that films for the under-12 set should be universally mature, with frightening images galore and bleak, death-filled endings; I just think that kids are more sophisticated than we give them credit for, and that they’re capable of exploring and understanding topics that are typically absent from your average CGI escapade. Maybe I’m partial because of the films I grew up with, but it seems that kid-centric movies from the 1980s, especially fantasies, were allowed to be more darkly and vividly imaginative—think The Neverending Story, Return to Oz, or Labyrinth. Another film to add to that list would be director and former Monty Python member Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits, a milieu- hopping adventure that takes on the weighty themes of absentee parenting, the critique of technology as supposed progress, disappointment in one’s idols, and the idea that the universe—and thereby God—may not be perfect.

The Time Bandits

In the universe of Time Bandits, The Supreme Being farmed out creation to his underlings and gave them only seven days for the task, resulting in a “bit of a botched job.” As a result, there are holes in the fabric of the cosmos, holes that—if exploited—could be used to travel through time. One such hole—unbeknownst—is in the bedroom of a history-obsessed 11-year-old, Kevin (Craig Warnock), whose parents are keeping up with the Joneses types, keen on collecting new gadgetry that’s supposed to make their lives better. (Gilliam hits the social criticism hard, right off the bat.) One evening, just as he’s nodding off to sleep, a knight on horseback bursts out of Kevin’s wardrobe—a nice Chronicles of Narnia homage—and suddenly, for a few seconds, Kevin’s room is in the middle of a medieval field. The next night, as Kevin waits in anticipation to see what will emerge next, a troupe of dwarves burst out of the closet. These are the eponymous time bandits, former employees of the Supreme Being—they were in charge of creating trees and shrubbery—who have stolen a map of the cosmos and use it to hopscotch through time, indiscriminately robbing. (We never find out what, exactly, they plan to do with the loot. Strict logic isn’t in this film’s vocabulary.) God, of course, isn’t pleased—his disembodied, Wizard of Oz- style head tracks them ominously—and they’re also pursued by Evil (David Warner), who wants to use the map for his own nefarious purposes.

Kevin, inadvertently, is dragged along through the next portal, and so begins an adventure through the ages, with episodic—and comedic—stops along the way. A common thread is the failure of historical figures to live up to their legendary statures. When Kevin and the bandits land in Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood—played with hilarious aloofness by John Cleese—turns out to be a posh prig who says “jolly good” a lot, a far cry from the brave, bow-and-arrow-wielding do-gooder of yore. Napoleon (Ian Holm), likewise, is spoofed as sulky and petulant, cackling at a Punch and Judy puppet show because he loves “tiny things.” The sole exception is the giant-slaying King Agamemnon of ancient Greece (the always dashing Sean Connery), who takes a fatherly liking to young Kevin—the sole instance of sentiment in an otherwise cynical film—and wants to adopt him as his own. Alas, poor Kevin is whisked away for a short voyage on the RMS Titanic. Popping up throughout time are Vincent (co-writer Michael Palin) and Pansy (Shelly Duvall), two bumbling lovers who dole out some categorically adult innuendoes that will whiz over the heads of even the most erudite kids.

Calling Time Bandits a kid’s movie, then, is a bit of a disservice, as it really does appeal to all ages. Younger viewers will take to the slapstick antics and the anything could happen sense of possibility—which includes darker elements, like death—while adults will latch onto the social satire and pervasive wit. As with Gilliam’s following film, Brazil, Time Bandits is dizzyingly imaginative and visually lush, with enormous-looking sets and spectacular handmade special effects that still hold up today and are somehow realer and more compelling than if they had been accomplished with digital trickery. Thanks to the presence of Michael Palin and John Cleese, the film often feels like it’s part of the Monty Python oeuvre—even though it’s not—and the dwarves, led by David Rappaport as Randall, are all funny and memorable. Craig Warnock is kind of forgettable as Kevin, but this is okay—in a way, he’s supposed to be a blank slate as we’re essentially living the film through his eyes. The adventure is happening to us. To this end, Gilliam uses lots of low, wide angles, approximating a child’s perception of the world. And like the real world, Gilliam’s creation in Time Bandits is a sometimes-scary place or kids, where Evil-with-a-capital-E blows people up for no reason and where parents might eventually get what’s coming to them. But it’s also a funny place, and a place where kids may want to exert their imaginations long after the film has finished.

Time Bandits Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Disappointingly, Time Bandits makes its U.S. debut on Blu-ray with an interlaced 1080i/AVC- encoded transfer that looks as though it may have been recycled from some HDTV broadcast master. (Although I can't say for sure.) If you have a large screen and/or you look closely, you'll definitely notice frequent macroblocking in the backgrounds and you'll spot a good deal of compression noise and other artifacts throughout. The print also features a moderate amount of flecks and scratches. Despite these problems, though, Time Bandits looks okay, and may even be the most subjectively eye-pleasing of the four HandMade titles that Image is releasing on the 24th, if only because the film had a bigger budget than Mona Lisa, The Long Good Friday, or Withnail and I. The transfer is persistently soft, but there's a clear upgrade from prior DVD editions and fine detail borders on better than merely acceptable at times. Color too sees an improvement, with a more balanced look overall, strong primaries, and even-keeled skin tones. Black levels, however, are a bit hazy and inconsistent. The film was released on Blu-ray by Optimum in U.K., and while I haven't personally seen that version, it features a much higher bit-rate, for what it's worth, is in 1080p, and sits on a dual-layer disc. A pity Image Entertainment couldn't have procured that transfer for the U.S. release.

Time Bandits Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The interlaced transfer is unfortunate, but I have no qualms at all about the film's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which is surprisingly articulate and full of oomph. Unlike the 5.1 mixes that accompany Mona Lisa and The Long Good Friday—which don't seem like real surround mixes at all—this track is engaging and immersive, with plenty of directional effects and lots of ambience. Of course, none of it is as potent or precise as what you'd hear in a more modern mix, and directionality is somewhat wonky, but the rear speakers are frequently occupied with sonic craziness, and Mike Moran's score is dynamically solid. Dialogue can sound slightly muffled at times, but it's always easily discernable and balanced nicely in the mix. Although you will hear some slight hisses and crackles from time to time, the age-related imperfections are never a distraction. Do note that there are no subtitle options on this disc.

Time Bandits Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Terry Gilliam Interview (SD, 18:12)
An enlightening interview, where Gilliam fields questions about the origins of Time Bandits, the casting, and the shooting process.

Trailer (SD, 3:09)

Time Bandits Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

They don't make 'em like this anymore. The 1980s, for my money, was the heyday of children's fantasy films, and Time Bandits is one of the best. It's funny, adventuresome, and unlike most modern children's movies, it's dark and doesn't pander to parents or patronize kids. Unfortunately, Image Entertainment has saddled Time Bandits with an interlaced transfer riddled with compression niggles—it looks like a transfer primed for TV broadcast—and the only supplementary feature is an interview with director Terry Gilliam. Still, it's Time Bandits on Blu-ray, which should be enough to satiate many fans.