Review: Time Bandits

I was sorry to hear that the Time Bandits series on AppleTV+ didn’t get picked up for a second season. I had just finished watching the series a few days prior to the announcement—in fact, I had checked to see if/when there was going to be a second season because the series ended (to my surprise) with a cliffhanger. So I was a bit shocked to discover that the writers—Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris and Taika Waititi—had written a such a finale without having a commitment for a second season! They reportedly were working on the next season even though they were still waiting for a renewal.

During the first half of the premiere episode, I wasn’t sure I was going to stick with it. But in that episode, once they start traveling through time and end up in the Trojan War (and inside the Trojan Horse), it won me over and I was all in. That scene had a Monty Python feel to it and gave me the show's first good laughs. In fact, throughout the series, it’s the first time I ever felt that actors who weren’t British were able to deliver Python-like humor and lines without it sounding forced. (Lisa Kudrow as the leader of the Time Bandits also initially seemed to be an odd fit—but she does grow on you and her character turns out to be one of the leads, in that she goes through a significant character arc.)

I heard there were some behind the scenes problems during the shoot—apparently, Terry Gilliam, one of the creators of the original film (which I love), was unhappy with what he saw. However, I found the production more faithful and respectful to the movie and its spirit and themes than I expected, though the series does polish some of the film's rough edges and it's certainly processed through Waititi's lens.

Many of the elements and plot points from the film are in the series as well, but to mention any would be spoilery. But these plot points and beats have been shuffled around and/or expanded a bit to strengthen the narrative. I will note, however, that Clement and Waititi both appear in key roles and the series adds a new dynamic by having the younger sister of Kevin, the lead boy character, join in the adventure. (Her character is a bit of a pill lol but also strong and resilient).

And though I believe there was some controversy in not casting little people in the time bandit roles as in the original film, the series does introduce a team of little people who are about to join in the chase for the Time Bandits and their map. In fact, I thought those actors and their characters were terrific, but their story really didn’t get going much in the series, so it’s obvious they were going to be a focus of the second season. For me, not getting to see more of these characters and watch their arc unfold is one of the biggest losses of not getting a second season. 

The film, Time Bandits, was not a Python film, but it was written by two of the group's members, Gilliam and Palin. But there clearly are some homages—I mean look how the boy is dressed in the show throughout the series. And there also was an instance of danger when they yelled, "Run away! Run away!" and where characters were taunted by someone on a castle wall!