Friday, April 12, 2024

Time Bandits (1981)

IMDb plot summary: A young boy accidentally joins a band of time travelling dwarves, as they jump from era to era looking for treasure to steal.
Directed by Terry Gilliam. Starring Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, and John Cleese.

Time Bandits is a Terry Gilliam film about a young boy who suddenly finds himself traveling through time with a group of dwarves who have stolen the "time map." The film jumps between the boy's adventures meeting various historical figures and the overarching plot in which two powerful beings are wrestling for control of the time map. This sits in a really *fun* place between comedy and adventure, and it means that the whole film is just a blast to watch, and not just as an adult -- I'm sure I'd have had just as much fun with it, even more, if I'd watched it as a kid. I love the creativity of the different scenarios and the quick pace that moves us from adventure to adventure with no time to ever get bored with it. Terry Gilliam has directed a few of my favorite movies, and his slightly quirky take on the world is definitely on display here in the best way. The only quibble I have with it is the ending, which is a startling shift away from what the rest of the film seemed like, but I bet it will sit differently on a second viewing.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Time Bandits > Captain Phillips
Time Bandits < Dark Passage
Time Bandits > Hustle
Time Bandits < Waking Ned Devine
Time Bandits > Moonstruck
Time Bandits > The Song of Lunch
Time Bandits > Decision to Leave
Time Bandits > Whisky Galore!
Time Bandits > Monte Carlo
Time Bandits > Memories of Murder
Time Bandits < Batman Returns
Final spot: #1217 out of 3884, or 69%.

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