Time Bandits (1981)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Graham J

  
  A spectacular fantasy for children and adults alike.

• Tim S

  
  No Terry Gilliam film is without its flaws. His work is usually fleeting and nebulous within the confines of the narrative. Out of all of his work, I'd say that Time Bandits is his most accessible...and certainly the most successful. It's the kind of movie you would have… More
  No Terry Gilliam film is without its flaws. His work is usually fleeting and nebulous within the confines of the narrative. Out of all of his work, I'd say that Time Bandits is his most accessible...and certainly the most successful. It's the kind of movie you would have taken your kids to see, and to see it yourself. True, it is a bit more adult than a normal kids movie, even from this time period, but it has elements contained therein that make it feel more magical. I like it a lot, and I'm glad that it enjoyed a successful run upon release.

• moon r

  
  Five dwarves, bored with their everyday tedium, steal a map from God Himself and take it on the lam with hopes of using the purloined item to secure the usual: riches beyond their wildest dreams. And so the madcap chase is on through space and time, a bright youngster nabbed along… More
  Five dwarves, bored with their everyday tedium, steal a map from God Himself and take it on the lam with hopes of using the purloined item to secure the usual: riches beyond their wildest dreams. And so the madcap chase is on through space and time, a bright youngster nabbed along the way simply for the helluvit. Will they get the moolah? And just who is that guy chasing them in the red tights who's laughing maniacally all the time? A treat for the kiddies that won't bore you to tears.

• Jacob E

  
  To be honest, there is a part of me that doesn't understand why I like this movie. Some of the effects haven't aged very well, some of the humor falls flat, historical accuracy is absolutely botched, and the ending will leave you bewildered. So how could you like it? The… More
  To be honest, there is a part of me that doesn't understand why I like this movie. Some of the effects haven't aged very well, some of the humor falls flat, historical accuracy is absolutely botched, and the ending will leave you bewildered. So how could you like it? The world that Terry Gilliam has created is so vivid, so brilliant, that you won't believe your eyes. The story here is pretty funny, about a little boy who becomes swept up by 6 dwarves traveling across time to steal the greatest riches in history. They are pursued by the Supreme Being and the minions of Evil (literally, and this guy is so unhinged its hilarious). Some of the humor is great, and definitely things kids won't get. Like finding out Robin Hood's band of merry men are a bunch of violent psychopaths, Napoleon was goofing off during all of his battles watching puppet shows, and other situations. If after reading that sentence you said out loud, "That sounds so stupid!", this movie isn't for you. One person I know described this as a "kids film for adults that only kids can understand." I can't say a whole lot beyond that, this is one of those films you can't rationally describe, you just have to watch it and take it in.

• Phil H

  
  Haven't seen this for along time now, not since I was a kid I reckon and its aged badly really. I really found myself thinking how stupid the whole thing is and how it could of been so much better hehe the small sections with Cleese, Palin and Connery are of course the better… More
  Haven't seen this for along time now, not since I was a kid I reckon and its aged badly really. I really found myself thinking how stupid the whole thing is and how it could of been so much better hehe the small sections with Cleese, Palin and Connery are of course the better moments as you get that classic 'Monty Python' feeling from the look, location, costumes and the type of dialog used. The Robin Hood section with Cleese is brilliant simply because of Cleese, the Greece section has that 'Life of Brian' feel to it where as the small segments with Palin feel alittle 'Holy Grail' which is typical of Gilliam of course along with other films 'Jabberwocky' and 'Brazil'. I find the film very choppy really, some bits are quite cool with some great imagination on show where as allot of it is pretty daft and ropey looking, the whole ending against baddie David Warner is the worst part of the film. I find Gilliams work to be like this genrally in my personal opinion, some is brilliant, some is totally nonsense, but he is more of an artist I think so opinions will differ.

• AJ V

  
  I saw this movie a long time ago when I was a kid or something, and I thought it was stupid.

• Conner R

  
  The idea of this movie is truly interesting, but the execution is really not that good. There's too many midgets running around and it's utter madness. The best parts are the fragments of history where you get to see Agamemnon and Ogres. This also tends to be a little corny… More
  The idea of this movie is truly interesting, but the execution is really not that good. There's too many midgets running around and it's utter madness. The best parts are the fragments of history where you get to see Agamemnon and Ogres. This also tends to be a little corny too often, which is usually never the case with Terry Gilliam's other work. I think this movie is just too kid friendly and has too much of a dependence on it's peck actors.

• El Hombre I

  
  Time Bandits has all of the trademarks of what's now recognized as a Gilliam-esque film: little people, a warped sense of humor along with incredible imagination in story and design. I can only wonder what pitching a plot like this must've sounded like to producers.… More
  Time Bandits has all of the trademarks of what's now recognized as a Gilliam-esque film: little people, a warped sense of humor along with incredible imagination in story and design. I can only wonder what pitching a plot like this must've sounded like to producers. Luckily one of those producers was George Harrison. The actors are great. John Cleese's Robin Hood takes parody to a new level. Ian Holm, Ralph Richardson, Katherine Helmond, Shelley Duvall and Michael Palin fit in quite well. However, besides the little people and Kevin, the real standout for me has always been David Warner. This was, I believe, the first role I noticed him, then afterwards in Time After Time as Jack The Ripper. Warner is pure evil surrounded by minions of lesser intelligence. Who would've thought blowing up a dog could be so hilarious? <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view&current=time_bandits.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/time_bandits.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

• Wahida K

  
  They didn't make history, they stole it!

• Thomas B

  
  this is a brilliant film. terry gilliam proves why he's incredible. the different scenarios, all blending into one. the fact thatit's a story about a kid and yet it's dark enough to be entertaining is an achievement in itself.

• Greg S

  
  A young boy boy travels through time and reality in the company of six thieving dwarfs who have stolen a map of the universe belonging to the Supreme Being. A few segments drag and the tone shifts radically at the end, but this blend of history, fantasy, comedy and theology is… More
  A young boy boy travels through time and reality in the company of six thieving dwarfs who have stolen a map of the universe belonging to the Supreme Being. A few segments drag and the tone shifts radically at the end, but this blend of history, fantasy, comedy and theology is whimsical, unique and highly quotable.

• Anthony L

  
  A fantastic surreal fantasy adventure. With Midgets! A real favourite of mine and pure genius.

• Film C

  
  it was ok i actually thought it would be better but its not a terrrible film i like the dwarfs they are entertaining

• Curtis L

  
  Fun film with lots of midgets and great gillium sets.

• Luke B

  
  Gilliam's own Narnia in an epic family fantasy. He creates such a dazzling fantastic world it's hard not to squeal with joy. As our heroes go through time we meet some excellent characters such as the diminutive Napoleon and of course the jolly nice Robin Hood. The script by… More
  Gilliam's own Narnia in an epic family fantasy. He creates such a dazzling fantastic world it's hard not to squeal with joy. As our heroes go through time we meet some excellent characters such as the diminutive Napoleon and of course the jolly nice Robin Hood. The script by both Gilliam and Palin has enough one liners of Python caliber to amuse those of any age, especially when it comes to evil deeds of turning beans into peas. Gilliams own touch of darkness is also everywhere to be seen, he certainly doesn't dilute for children with hanging feet and exploding henchmen. Visually stunning and a wild adventure.

• Stella D

  
  every bit as good as i remember. dark around the edges as fairy tales should be. movie magic! yay!

• Stephen M

  
  Drawing inspiration from C.S. Lewis, Maurice Sendak, "The Wizard of Oz" and loads of other stuff, this is a boundlessly imaginative fantasy. It starts a little slowly but things take off magnificently in the second half, once David Warner's Evil One appears and the… More
  Drawing inspiration from C.S. Lewis, Maurice Sendak, "The Wizard of Oz" and loads of other stuff, this is a boundlessly imaginative fantasy. It starts a little slowly but things take off magnificently in the second half, once David Warner's Evil One appears and the adventurers reach the Time of Legends. Visually, it's often extraordinary and, after the disappointing "Jabberwocky", this was the first indication of Terry Gilliam's unique talent as a movie director.

• Lafe F

  
  A fantasy adventure movie with a boy travelling with a group of little thieves, who hold a powerful time map. David Warner plays the supreme lord who is chasing after them, as they jumped to different points in Earth's history. The little Dwarves' antics were charming.… More
  A fantasy adventure movie with a boy travelling with a group of little thieves, who hold a powerful time map. David Warner plays the supreme lord who is chasing after them, as they jumped to different points in Earth's history. The little Dwarves' antics were charming. Things get really interesting when they enter the domain of the Supreme being. The set and costume design was quality work. The ending was truly magical with the boy being rescued. A filmic work of art from the early 80's. Love it.

• xGary X

  
  An all-star cast in an enjoyable fantasy romp full of memorable visuals and Pythonesque humour. A little overlong, but endlessly inventive.

• Pierluigi P

  
  this little wonderful gem was one of the first films I recall to have seen. a fantastic journey through the ages. the ending is horrifying, in a good sense, but it devastated me when I was a child.

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