Time Bandits
directed by Terry Gilliam
(Paramount, 1981)

I loved this movie. I was flung across the couch arm dying laughing. It is hilarious! It has a unique, extremely creative plot dealing with a group of dwarves who decide to quit their jobs for the Supreme Being and take up a life of crime. (Surely they were better in their former positions, for they are quite the bumbling boobs as criminals.) On their way out of Heaven, they steal a map that shows the placement of all the tears in the cloth of creation. They use it to jump from era to era, looking for treasure to steal.

When they jump into current time, they land in the bedroom of a boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock). They are running for their lives and Kevin gets caught in the middle, inadvertently joining them on their adventures. It turns out to be a good thing because he is often the only sensible one of the group.

It is hard for me to narrow down the selection of characters to the three I liked best. The drunken, little Napoleon (Ian Holm) was a real riot. Winston the Ogre (Peter Vaughan) was wonderful. But my favorite has to be the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), who is exactly what you do not expect the Supreme Being to be. He would fit perfectly into the CEO position of a Fortune 500 enterprise. His appearance and demeanor will take you by surprise, even if you know it is coming. By the time you see him, you will have created an image for him that absolutely will not fit.

Costuming in this movie is extraordinary! Makeup and scenery are all top-notch. There are no low points in the action, no sluggish lines. Everything flows smoothly and coherently from one time jump to the next. And the ending is really cool -- you just have to see it.

You also will be amazed with the line-up of talent in this movie. Sean Connery plays King Agamemnon, John Cleese is Robin Hood, David Warner is the Evil Genius (basically the devil) and Shelley Duvall is Pansy. The list goes on. It is a marvelous casting array, creating vast diversity of style and manner.

I will definitely watch this movie again and again. It is a good selection for group viewing, such as with a family gathering. It is a movie that thrills and entertains to the maximum level. You will love it. Get a copy today.

- Rambles
written by Alicia Karen Elkins
published 1 February 2003



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