Trailers
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
Description
Young history buff Kevin can scarcely believe it when six dwarfs emerge from his closet one night. Former employees of the Supreme Being, they've purloined a map charting all of the holes in the fabric of time and are using it to steal treasures from different historical eras. Taking Kevin with them, they variously drop in on Napoleon, Robin Hood and King Agamemnon before the Supreme Being catches up with them.
Starring
Awards
Key opinion
Time Bandits is a highly imaginative and visually inventive fantasy film that showcases Terry Gilliam's unique, grotesque aesthetic. While praised for its bold creativity and ambition, the film's episodic nature and unconventional tone divide opinion between those who find it a masterpiece of whimsey and those who view it as disjointed.
| Production | The production design and painterly visuals create an unmistakably immersive and whimsically grotesque atmosphere. | |
| Originality | The film utilizes inventive practical effects and set pieces that remain impressive despite the film's limited 1981 budget. | |
| Theme | The screenplay functions as a biting satire on consumer technology and modern complacency, masking deep themes within a fairy-tale structure. | |
| Screenplay | The film's disjointed, episodic plot structure leads to disagreement: some view it as a brilliantly restless adventure, while others find the narrative aimless or dull. | |
| Pacing | Audiences are split on whether the frantic, high-energy pacing and dark tone constitute a visionary artistic achievement or an exhausting, uneven experience. |