Time Bandits - Criterion Collection

Starring:John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Ralph Richardson, Peter Vaughan, David Warner, David Rappaport, Kenny Baker, Malcolm Dixon, Mike Edmonds, Jack Purvis, Tiny Ross, Craig Warnock, David Daker, Sheila Fearn, Jim Broadbent, John Young
Director: Terry Gilliam
Studio: Criterion
Product Type: DVD

Description

In Terry Gilliam's fantastic voyage through time and space, a young boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) escapes his gadget-obsessed parents to join a band of time-traveling dwarves. Armed with a map stolen from the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), they plunder treasure from Napoleon (Ian Holm) and Agamemnon (Sean Connery)-but the Evil Genius (David Warner) is watching their every move! Featuring a darkly playful script by Gilliam and costar Michael Palin, Time Bandits is all at once giddy fairy tale, revisionist history lesson, and satire on technology gone awry.

Customer Reviews:

Intelligent insanity.......2007-06-20

British humor is unique and could be considered an art form in and of itself. British humor in the form of a science-fiction adventure movie is something else altogether. This movie, along with Brazil and the Adventures of Baron Munchausen, form a trilogy of fantasy classics by Terry Gilliam. Whereas Brazil is more of an apocalyptic view of the future, and Baron Munchausen is steeped in Greek mythology and European history, this movie is more of a pure adventure story with lots of ridiculous scenes thrown in.

The plot of Time Bandits is simple. Six dwarfs, servants of God, steal God's map of time-space and use it travel throughout human history. They stop at various times and places to steal loot from wealthy individuals, such as Napoleon (Ian Holm) and King Agamemnon (Sean Connery). Along the way, the sink with the Titanic, and get robbed by Robin Hood (John Cleese). They pick up an English boy living at the end of the 20th century, and bring him along in their travels. In the end, they encounter Evil himself, and have to be rescued by God.

This movie is classic British humor. Sarcasm and wit overflow; action scenes are funny because of how ludicrous they are, and scene after scene pokes fun at the powerful. The scenes with the dwarfs are also great, as they alternate between hitting each other Three Stooges style to performing feats worthy of any circus. For such an old movie, the film quality was great. The special effects were believable, but did not distract from the storyline. The dialog was also good. Unfortunately, the soundtrack was nondescript, and parts of it sounded like it was copied from The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. But overall, a good movie and quite interesting to watch.

Classic but not perfect.......2007-06-07

Unlike many Americans, I have this love of British humor. Or would that be humour? Well, there is something to English hilarity; that dry, mature comedy that carries with it an adolescent streak Americans too often translate as juvenile in their our own format. True, Gilliam is American, but his humor is far from. In Time Bandits, one of his best works, we get to travel alongside the Supreme Being's ousted aides as they try to find a new living as time traveling thieves. Of course they fail at every turn until their greed lands them in the hands of Evil himself. David Warner is the stand out in this movie. I literally love every performance he has ever done. And Sean Connery, who knew he could give a subtle, unselfish performance. There are plot holes which nagged at me, especially the point that everyone, no matter the era, speaks English! Still, this is an adventure that can't help but to resurrect the child in you. Movies like this are a rarity in the modern age.

The Folks Who Made This Film Had To Be High....Thankfully!!.......2007-03-29

I have always thought this movie was one of the strangest movies around. I really enjoy dark movies and this one is no exception. The storyline twists and turns so much. The characters are great along with the little guy actors who played them. The scene on the beach when they break the mirror is cool. This dvd is better than the first edition released but it could still be done better I would think. It gets five stars because it's a great adventure movie that's really dark and twisted.

different.......2007-02-12

A crazy movie on the lines of Baron Munchusen. Fans of John Cleese will like this.

time bandits.......2007-01-22

I remember watching this movie as a child and have been looking for it for years. My son is now the age that i was when i first watched this movie he has enjoyed it as much as i have.

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