Just as in Titanic and his turns as the immortal criminal Ra’s al Ghul in Batman: The Animated Series, Warner is a villain on a completely different level than the protagonists. Imprisoned in a fortress beyond the rest of history, Warner invests his sneering devil-analog with perfect comedic timing. The central chunk of Time Bandits is taken up by swift changes of venue as Kevin and the bandits steal from Napoleon, lose the haul to the charity of Robin Hood (John Cleese), and then step through further holes in time that take them to ancient Greece and a night to remember on a certain cruise ship in 1912.Įventually, though, the gang falls under the influence of the master of evil (David Warner, whose portrayal ranks as one of the all-time best depictions of a Satanic figure). It’s a seemingly foolproof plan: Having fled from 1796 Italy after robbing a drunk Napoleon Bonaparte (Ian Holm, hilariously insecure), they warp to the Middle Ages, “five hundred years before the man we just robbed is even born!” Unsatisfied with their compensation and the lack of respect from their employer, Randall and his fellow frontline workers have decided to resign and plunder history’s shiniest treasures. It turns out the universe was a rush job-finished in just six days! As a result, there are holes in the fabric of space and time, and if you happen to know where they are, you can find your way to any part of history you like. Randall and his crew are on the lam, having quit their jobs as maintenance men for the Supreme Being (he created the universe, and looks like a floating head voiced by Tony Jay), and have made off with a very special map. Gilliam is notorious for ambitions that outstrip his ability to deliver, which I want you to bear in mind as I say that 40 later, Time Bandits rates as one of Gilliam’s most interesting, most fun, most funny, and most ambitious films. Gilliam is giving you the message with a friendly wink (delivered via Sean Connery, in fact). Then, it sets about turning everything about its premise upside-down, in ways that, when you think about it, are every bit as crushing as that other feel-good masterpiece, Brazil.
Time bandit film movie#
(Director Terry Gilliam is American, but by virtue of his membership in Monty Python and the fact he directed a movie starring both Bilbo Baggins and James Bond, it seems like he qualifies for honorary citizenship.) The premise of Time Bandits should sound familiar to anybody weaned on young adult fantasy in novels or film (or, come to think of it, isekai anime), but it’s particularly familiar when you hold it up next to British fantasy that stars young protagonists who have come unstuck in time.
Before he knows it, he is swept up into an adventure alongside some quirky characters, on a quest for glory and fame that sees him travel into a far-off and unknown world. A boy in a ho-hum world of drudgery and bedtimes daydreams about something more fantastical.
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