Finding portals through mundane furniture to remarkable and random destinations is a time-honored trope in fantasy narratives. When Kevin Haddock’s (Kal-El Tuck – still love that kid’s name) bedroom becomes a “time egress” in Apple TV+’s Time Bandits and his closet a gateway to various points in history, it’s a legacy move. We were lucky enough to screen the entire first season and it’s a helluva ride.
Of course, the series is a remake of the star-studded 1981 Terry Gilliam fantasy adventure. The most significant update to the series is that the titular self-proclaimed “crack team of expert thieves” is now a motley crew led (sort of) by Penelope (Lisa Kudrow). In the O.G. film, the Time Bandits were all little people including Star Wars‘ Kenny Baker. Additionally, a narrative that spans ten episodes versus two hours means a more diverse travelogue and some truly epic historical cameos.
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The Time Bandits
When Kevin inadvertently joins the Time Bandits, they purport to be seeking to steal history’s greatest treasures, using a time map (via the occasional time egress) to travel to their theft targets. Kevin signs on as their guide to the eras they visit, being a huge history nut. Much of the classic Monty Python-style banter is maintained as the ensemble collaborates. However, he quickly realizes they have neither the skills nor the knowledge to realize their pilfering goals.
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The absurd humor ramps up as he tasks them with getting him home. That quest takes them through various inhospitable (and unprofitable) settings. Things are complicated by the fact the map’s owner, The Supreme Being (Taika Waititi), and Pure Evil himself (Jemaine Clement) have sent their respective minions to capture the self-styled bandits and get the map for themselves. Fascinatingly, most of the Supreme Being’s minions are cherubs played by little people while Pure Evil employs demons — and a guy named Damon (Jonny Brugh) — capable of regenerating after being exploded.
The Big Picture
Time-traveling banditry is a risky business… especially when you aren’t very good at banditry or time-traveling. When Kevin discovers that even his encyclopedic knowledge of history can’t keep himself or his family (or history) safe, he has to depend on his new-found posse to help him save his parents and the world, in that order.
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Kevin’s sister, Saffron (Kiera Thompson) is a brilliant addition to the ensemble and divergence from the original plot. Unlike standard wholesome family viewing, the siblings really, really, REALLY don’t get along. In fact, Saffron has so little love for Kevin’s historical knowledge base that she makes dissing him as a nerd a prehistoric cultural trend. She’s a survivor with a smart mouth and a complete pain in the arse, but her character arc is undisputably dynamic.
Who Will Love Time Bandits?
Fans of Monty Python schtick in general and Terry Gilliam in particular will revel in the classic verbose style and preposterous situational comedy of Time Bandits. Lovers of previous Waititi-Clement collaborations will be all-in for the socially-relevant commentary and cheeky humor. And for those who appreciate some real-world emotional depth with their fantastical timey-wimey ludicrous comedy, it packs a real punch in the final three episodes.
Furthermore, there are some marvelous cameos to watch out for. Or should I say, listen for. Perhaps my main critique of the series is that so much is happening in each episode, the audience is bound to miss some of the more subtle details and Easter eggs that are delightful in their paradigmatic scope. My more nit-picky critique is how Kevin lands on his face more often than not when passing through portals and his glasses NEVER break. He may not be a witch but that, my friends, is witchcraft.
The 10-episode series of Time Bandits begins streaming on Apple TV+ on July 24 with a two-episode premiere. Two new episodes will drop each subsequent Wednesday.
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