Time Bandits

HandMade Films
Industry	Film production
Founded	1978
Founder	Denis O'Brien
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Owner	George Harrison (financial supporter)

Time Bandits is a 1981 British fantasy adventure movie that was co-written, produced, and directed by Terry Gilliam. The cast includes David Rappaport, Sean Connery, John Cleese, Shelley Duvall, Ralph Richardson, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Peter Vaughan, and David Warner. The narrative centers on a young boy who joins a band of time-traveling thieves as they pilfer treasures from different eras in history.

Following the unsuccessful attempt to produce Brazil in 1979, Gilliam turned his attention to creating a family-oriented film. Collaborating with fellow Monty Python member Michael Palin, he co-wrote Time Bandits, which was funded by HandMade Films, a company established by former Beatle George Harrison. The shooting locations included England, Morocco, and Wales. The film had its UK debut on 2 July 1981 and premiered in the US on 6 November 1981. It garnered predominantly favorable reviews from critics, opened at number one in the US and Canadian box office charts, and earned $36 million against a production budget of $5 million.

Gilliam regards Time Bandits as the initial chapter in his "Trilogy of Imagination," which continues with Brazil (1985) and concludes with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988).

Plot

Kevin is a young boy captivated by Ancient Greece but feels neglected by his parents, who are obsessed with gadgets. One evening, an armoured knight bursts out of his wardrobe, revealing a secret portal hidden behind his bedroom wall. The following night, six dwarfs emerge; they have stolen a map that displays breaches in spacetime. Led by Randall, the dwarfs aim to flee before the ominous Supreme Being catches them demanding the map's return.

Kevin joins their temporal escapades, traveling through history to events such as the Battle of Castiglione and encountering figures like Napoleon Bonaparte and Robin Hood. He records their adventures using a Polaroid camera. Meanwhile, Evil—a malevolent entity capable of manipulating reality—watches their progress with the intent to seize the map.

When separated from the group in Mycenaean Greece, Kevin encounters King Agamemnon, who takes him under his wing after Kevin assists in slaying a Minotaur. The dwarfs soon rescue Kevin, escaping through another portal to the doomed voyage of the RMS Titanic. Subsequently, Evil traps them within his domain known as the Time of Legends. Believing they are about to find "The Most Fabulous Object in the World," they fall into Evil’s snare; he steals the map and imprisons them above an endless chasm. Using Kevin's photographs as clues, they discover a way out and manage to escape.

Evil confronts Kevin once more and confiscates the map. In response, the dwarfs summon historical warriors and machinery to battle Evil; however, he defeats them with ease. As Evil prepares to unleash his final power, he is engulfed in flames and revealed to be a trial orchestrated by the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being instructs the dwarfs to gather fragments of condensed Evil and resumes his creative work alongside them, leaving Kevin behind as one such fragment smolders.

Kevin awakens to find his house ablaze due to his parents’ new toaster oven. Firefighters arrive to rescue him—one resembling Agamemnon—and Kevin realizes he still possesses photos from his journey. His parents accidentally touch a smoldering piece of Evil and explode, leaving only their shoes behind. As the fireman resembling Agamemnon winks at Kevin before leaving, Kevin approaches the smoking shoes; the camera zooms out to show Earth while the Supreme Being rolls up the map once again.

Development

In November 1979, Terry Gilliam conceived Time Bandits following the initial stages of working on Brazil. As producer and Monty Python manager Denis O'Brien found the concept of Brazil difficult to comprehend, Gilliam suggested creating a family-oriented movie instead. O'Brien had founded HandMade Films, financially supported by former Beatle George Harrison, primarily to back Python-related projects. Upon approval of Gilliam’s idea, he collaborated with fellow Python member Michael Palin to co-author the screenplay.

Casting

Sean Connery was cast as Agamemnon after an encounter with producer O'Brien on a golf course. The script humorously noted the character’s unveiling: "Removing his helmet reveals himself to be none other than Sean Connery or an actor of equal but cheaper stature." A fan of Monty Python, Connery agreed to participate for a token payment plus a percentage of gross earnings.

John Cleese took on the role of Robin Hood due to his higher commercial appeal, replacing Palin who accepted smaller parts alongside Shelley Duvall. Cleese drew inspiration for his performance from the Duke of Kent’s pre-football match rituals, emphasizing the role’s satirical nature.

Esteemed actor Ralph Richardson, revered almost as a deity in theatrical circles, portrayed the Supreme Being with great seriousness, occasionally questioning his dialogue.

For the character Mrs. Ogre, both Ruth Gordon and Gilda Radner were considered; Gordon withdrew because of injury, and despite the studio favoring Radner for her box office draw, Gilliam championed Katherine Helmond due to her television popularity.

Jonathan Pryce declined the role of Evil, opting instead for a better-paying opportunity driven by financial needs at that time.

Filming

Shooting occurred partly on location, with Raglan Castle standing in for Castiglione delle Stiviere, Epping Forest doubling as Sherwood Forest, and Aït Benhaddou representing Agamemnon's palace in Mycenae. Interior sequences were filmed at Lee International Film Studios. Gilliam aimed to capture scenes from a child's perspective by employing low camera angles and surrounding the young protagonist with actors of similar stature to maintain visual coherence.

During post-production, Gilliam and O'Brien disagreed over altering the film’s somber ending and adding songs by George Harrison. Ultimately, Harrison composed and performed the closing credits track "Dream Away", whose lyrics reflected both Time Bandits and Gilliam’s directorial approach.

Japanese release

When released theatrically in Japan in 1983, Time Bandits was frequently screened outside major urban centers as part of a double feature alongside the domestic film Harmagedon. For commercial purposes, the Japanese distributor trimmed approximately 13 minutes—removing scenes involving Robin Hood, the cannibal couple, and the final scene where parents vanish—resulting in a 103-minute cut that altered the original narrative intent.

Nonetheless, the unedited closing scene was broadcast on Japanese television in 1988, and all later home video editions (LD, DVD, Blu-ray) in Japan have preserved the complete original version.

Box office

Premiereing in the United States on 6 November 1981, the film debuted at number one with $6.5 million across 821 theaters. It retained its leading position for four consecutive weeks and grossed $36 million in North America against a $5 million budget, ranking as the 13th highest-grossing film that year in the US and Canada. A re-release on 12 November 1982 generated an additional $6 million, bringing total North American box office receipts to $42.4 million.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Time Bandits holds a 91% approval rating based on 54 reviews, averaging 7.9/10 and receiving acclaim for its inventive set design and special effects. Metacritic assigns it a weighted score of 79 out of 100, indicating generally favorable critiques.

Most reviewers responded positively. Gary Arnold of The Washington Post described it as "a marvellous cinematic tonic" and hailed it as a new classic within time-travel cinema. David Ansen from Newsweek characterized it as "both sophisticated and childlike" while capturing emotional complexity. Vincent Canby of The New York Times highlighted its fusion of fairy tale elements with science fiction and comedy.

Some critics expressed reservations. Roger Ebert appreciated its visual aspects but felt pacing issues weakened comedic timing. Gene Siskel called it an "uneven special effects extravaganza" burdened by excessive historical detours. Leslie Halliwell awarded one star due to inconsistent humor despite some amusing moments. Pauline Kael criticized its overload of ideas which she believed diluted overall impact.

Legacy

Gilliam referred to Time Bandits as the initial installment in his "Trilogy of Imagination," followed by Brazil (1985) and concluding with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988). Each film examines societal chaos and escapism through imagination: Time Bandits from a child's viewpoint; Brazil through an adult man; and Munchausen via an elderly protagonist.

The movie ranks number 22 on Empire magazine's list of "The 50 best kids' movies" and is included among Time magazine's "Top 10 Time-Travel Movies."

Game designer Richard Garriott cited Time Bandits as inspiration for his 1982 title Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress, repeatedly watching it to replicate its time map mechanic—this influenced his game's "time doors" concept and packaging design.

Home media

Initially released in December 1982 across UK formats including Betamax, VHS, Video 2000, and CED Videodisc, as well as VHS in the US, Time Bandits has undergone various home media releases.

In 1997, The Criterion Collection issued a LaserDisc edition featuring commentary from Gilliam, Palin, Cleese, Warner, and Warnock alongside a Scrapbook featurette. Criterion followed up with a DVD release in 1999 containing these extras plus the theatrical trailer. That same year saw Anchor Bay Entertainment release a standard DVD without bonus content.

Anchor Bay's 2004 Divimax two-disc DVD edition expanded features with AFI's 'The Films of Terry Gilliam' documentary, interviews, trailers, Gilliam’s biography, and a DVD-ROM including screenplay text and a Map of the Universe graphic.

In 2010 Anchor Bay introduced a Blu-ray version containing an interview with Gilliam and trailers. Arrow Films’ UK Blu-ray from 2013 presented a 2K scan from the original 35mm negative approved by Gilliam himself. Criterion’s 2014 Blu-ray offered a new 2K restoration along with original commentary tracks, production documentaries, archival interviews, photo galleries, theatrical trailer, and an essay booklet.

In 2023 both Arrow Films and Criterion released a supervised 4K UHD edition featuring all previously available special features.

Comic book adaptation

In February 1982, Marvel Comics published a comic book adaptation scripted by Steve Parkhouse with artwork by David Lloyd and John Stokes.

Planned sequel

In 1996 Gilliam collaborated with Charles McKeown on a script for Time Bandits II, intending to bring back most original cast members except David Rappaport and Tiny Ross who had passed away. The sequel project was ultimately abandoned following Jack Purvis’s death in 1997.

Television series

In July 2018, Apple Inc. acquired rights and partnered with Anonymous Content, Paramount Television Studios, and MRC Television to develop a Time Bandits television adaptation for Apple TV+, with Terry Gilliam serving as executive producer. The pilot episode was co-written and directed by Taika Waititi. The ensemble cast includes Lisa Kudrow, Kal-El Tuck, Charlyne Yi, Tadhg Murphy, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Rune Temte, Kiera Thompson, and Rachel House. Filming took place in New Zealand during late 2022 through early 2023.

External links

"Time Bandits", analysis by Bruce Eder at the Criterion Collection