Time Bandits

"No one created me. I am evil. Evil existed long before good. I made myself. I cannot be unmade. I am all powerful."

-Evil-

"But why if that's the case are you unable to escape from this fortress?"

-Minion (immediately destroyed)-

"That's a good question."

-Evil-

 

It's not hard to believe Terry Gilliam had plans for a Time Bandits sequel looking back at this Criterion edition of the film on Blu-Ray from all those years ago. Time Bandits (1981) was an extremely successful, tremendous slice of British science fiction fantasy that is vintage Terry Gilliam. Despite this immense moment of pure Gilliam perfection another was considered.

Dark Crystal (1982) would follow from Jim Henson and there are definitely qualities about these period fantasy films that fantasy film buffs must celebrate, return to and relish with regularity. They simply don't make them like this anymore. This writer unabashedly appreciates the works of science fiction and fantasy from yesterday as much as anything being released today.



Gilliam seemed to mix comedy and a touch of history with child-like wonder and adventure with great enthusiasm during an era that seemingly embraced these wonders.

The likes of American film Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) had the same idea years later, but for my money Time Bandits is a gem of sci-fi fantasy that really shouldn't be missed.

There is so much going on in the film and so much visual originality this viewer would have easily enjoyed another hour of those bandit adventurers across the centuries. So a sequel would have made perfect, welcomed sense.



Looking back at the Gilliam classic it is a film with so many of the Gilliam visual and comedic touches. The film seems to get all of its ingredients just right alternating between drama, adventure and comedy in a flash. It follows the director's Jabberwocky (1977; also on Criterion) and then a string of hits would follow that capitalize on Gilliam's trademark style to great success. Brazil (1985; also on Criterion), The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen (1988), The Fisher King (1991; also on Criterion) and then 12 Monkeys (1995) all preserve the man's immense imagination.

Apart from actually wanting even more in the Time Bandits story (they always say leave them wanting more), this writer was incredibly tantalized by the sci-fi and fantasy elements in the film as a child.



Seeing the film again freshly restored with fresh new eyes I was completely enthralled by the idea of the Supreme Being, the creation of Good and Evil and the applications of the magic map and the little windows to various times. They are the Time Bandits after all.

Even more I loved that the dwarves in the film including Randall (the late David Rappaport), Fidget (the late Kenny Baker), Strutter, Og, Wally and Vermin, actually once worked for the Supreme Being, but through a bit of bad luck regarding the creation of a strange, but smelly tree, were banished from tending to the world's trees and gardens. As a result these mini-arborists of a sort turned to a life of crime as thieving bandits of riches across time and space. What a brilliant story concept!



Alas that part of the story is never truly explored, but oh how I would have enjoyed that story (a la a sequel). I wanted to see the strange tree. I wanted to experience the bandits back at work among the trees. All of this would have been as thrilling as seeing the incredibly wonderful animation implemented for the Supreme Being in the film who is morphed into a real life figure that could be your grandfather by film's end. Yes more would have been a treat to be sure in Gilliam's hands.

Time Bandits is perfect in its existing form but I can't help but think a longer film or a sequel could have easily fleshed out the details and the story to even greater and even more entertaining effect.



The scene where the giant walks and steps upon a little creature's home. The reimagining of Robin Hood with all of its comedic touches is incredibly funny in the film ("The poor? Oh you must meet them."). And again the bandits as played by Baker, Rappaport and company are truly magical and great fun with all of their antics and physical humor.

Time Bandits works magnificently as a children's fantasy entertainment, but also, most of the time, as an imaginative work for adult viewers of sci-fi and fantasy cinema. That is an incredibly brilliant tight rope to walk and for a moment Gilliam walks the line splendidly in the midst of a fertile run of films.



Time Bandits is a great treat with a tremendous cast of guest stars to boot including John Cleese, Sean Connery, Michael Palin, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm and Shelley Duvall.

This is by no means an extensive write-up on Time Bandits, but it was worth noting that this film looks and sounds great in its Criterion format and is ripe for a revisit by those who loved the film as kids, but also for those looking to expand the creative imaginations of their own children away from the bright, shiny and often lacking garbage affiliated with today's rather unimaginative eye candy. With no effort to rely on computer generated animation, films like this one, despite all the critics telling you just how wonderful computer effects are, are truly gems to experience and seek out.



Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits proves and reminds us there is a lot missing in today's fantasy cinema and in today's would be dreamers when it comes to make anything remotely close to something this imaginative.

Writer: Terry Gilliam/ Michael Palin. Director: Terry Gilliam.