Editing Time Bandits

{{Short description|1981 British fantasy film by Terry Gilliam}}
{{About|the film|the Dutch band|Time Bandits (band)|the TV series based on the film|Time Bandits (TV series){{!}}''Time Bandits'' (TV series)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Time Bandits
| image          = Time bandits.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Terry Gilliam]]
| producer       = Terry Gilliam
| writer         = {{ubl|Terry Gilliam|[[Michael Palin]]}}
| starring       = {{plainlist|
*[[John Cleese]]
*[[Sean Connery]]
*[[Shelley Duvall]]
*[[Katherine Helmond]]
*[[Ian Holm]]
*Michael Palin
*[[Ralph Richardson]]
*[[Peter Vaughan]]
*[[David Warner (actor)|David Warner]]
*[[David Rappaport]]
*[[Kenny Baker (English actor)|Kenny Baker]]
*[[Jack Purvis (actor)|Jack Purvis]]
*[[Mike Edmonds]]
*[[Tiny Ross]]
*[[Craig Warnock]]<!-- per poster block -->}}
| music          = {{ubl|[[Mike Moran (music producer)|Mike Moran]]|Songs by [[George Harrison]]}}
| cinematography = [[Peter Biziou]]
| editing        = [[Julian Doyle (filmmaker)|Julian Doyle]]
| studio         = [[HandMade Films]]
| distributor    = HandMade Films (Distributors) Ltd.<ref name=bbfc />
| released       = {{Film date|df=yes|1981|7|2}}
| runtime        = 116 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 115:55--><ref name=bbfc>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/time-bandits-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmdyymjm| website=bbfc.co.uk}}</ref>
| country        = United Kingdom
| language       = English
| budget         = $5 million<ref name="robert">Sellers, Robert (2003). ''Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: The Inside Story of HandMade Films''. Metro. p. 40.</ref>
| gross          = $42.4 million<ref name=mojo>{{mojo title|timebandits}}</ref>
}}

'''''Time Bandits''''' is a 1981 British [[fantasy film|fantasy]] [[adventure film]] co-written, produced, and directed by [[Terry Gilliam]]. It stars [[David Rappaport]], [[Sean Connery]], [[John Cleese]], [[Shelley Duvall]], [[Ralph Richardson]], [[Katherine Helmond]], [[Ian Holm]], [[Michael Palin]], [[Peter Vaughan]] and [[David Warner (actor)|David Warner]]. The film tells the story of a young boy taken on an adventure through time with a band of thieves who plunder treasure from various points in history.

In 1979, Terry Gilliam was unable to set up the film ''[[Brazil (1985 film)|Brazil]]''; therefore, he proposed a family film. ''Time Bandits'' was co-written with fellow [[Monty Python]] Michael Palin, financed by ex-[[The Beatles|Beatle]] [[George Harrison]]'s [[HandMade Films]] and filmed in England, Morocco and Wales. The film was released in cinemas on 2 July 1981 in the United Kingdom and on 6 November 1981 in the United States. On its initial release, the film received mainly positive reviews from critics; it opened at number one at the weekend box office in the US and Canada, and, by the end of its run, grossed $36 million on a budget of $5 million.

Gilliam has referred to ''Time Bandits'' as the first in his "Trilogy of Imagination", followed by ''[[Brazil (1985 film)|Brazil]]'' (1985) and ending with ''[[The Adventures of Baron Munchausen]]'' (1988).

==Plot==
Kevin is a young boy fascinated by history, particularly that of [[Ancient Greece]]. His parents ignore his activities, having become obsessed with buying the latest household gadgets. One night, as Kevin sleeps, an armoured knight on a horse bursts out of his wardrobe. Kevin hides under the covers as the knight rides off into a forest where his bedroom wall was; when Kevin looks again, the room returns to normal, and he finds one of his photos on the wall similar to the forest he saw. The next night, he prepares a satchel with supplies and a [[Polaroid camera]] but is surprised when six [[Dwarf (mythology)|dwarfs]] spill out of the wardrobe. Kevin quickly learns the group has stolen a map and is looking for an exit from his room before they are discovered. They find that the bedroom wall leads to a portal. Kevin hesitates to join until the apparition of a floating, menacing head—the Supreme Being—appears behind them, demanding the map's return. Kevin and the dwarves find an empty void at the end of the hallway.

They land in Italy during the [[Battle of Castiglione]]. As they recover, Kevin learns that Randall is the lead dwarf of the group, which also includes Fidgit, Strutter, Og, Wally, and Vermin. The Supreme Being once employed them to repair holes in the [[spacetime]] fabric, but realised the potential to use the map that identifies these holes to steal riches and escape via time/space travel. With Kevin's help, they visit several locations in spacetime and meet figures such as [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] and [[Robin Hood]]. Kevin uses his camera to document their visits. However, they are unaware that their activities are being monitored by Evil, a malevolent being who can manipulate reality and is attempting to acquire the map.

Kevin becomes separated from the group and ends up in [[Mycenaean Greece]], meeting King [[Agamemnon]]. After Kevin inadvertently helps Agamemnon kill a [[Minotaur]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Terry Gilliam Says Sean Connery Was Originally Written Into 'Time Bandits' as a Joke, Yet "Saved My Ass" on Fantasy Film|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/terry-gilliam-says-sean-connery-was-originally-written-into-time-bandits-as-a-joke-yet-saved-my-ass-on-fantasy-film-4086680/|website=hollywoodreporter.com|date=2 November 2020 |publisher=The Hollywood reporter|access-date=11 May 2022}}</ref> the king adopts him. Randall and the others soon locate Kevin and abduct him, much to his resentment, and escape through another hole, arriving on the [[RMS Titanic|RMS ''Titanic'']]. After it sinks, they tread water while arguing with each other. Evil manipulates the group and transports them to his realm, the Time of Legends. After surviving encounters with ogres and a giant, Kevin and the dwarves locate the Fortress of Ultimate Darkness and are led to believe that "The Most Fabulous Object in the World" awaits them, luring them into Evil's trap. Evil takes the map and locks the group in a cage over a bottomless pit. While looking through the Polaroids he took, Kevin finds one that includes the map, and the group realises that there is a hole near them. They escape from the cage, and Kevin distracts their pursuers while the others go through the hole.

Evil confronts Kevin and takes the map from him. The dwarves return with various warriors and fighting machines from across time, but Evil effortlessly and comically defeats them all. As Kevin and the dwarves cower, Evil prepares to unleash his ultimate power. Suddenly, he is engulfed in flames and burned into charcoal; from the smoke, a besuited elderly man emerges, revealed as the [[God|Supreme Being]]. He reveals that he allowed the dwarves to borrow his map, and the whole adventure had been a test. He orders the dwarves to collect the pieces of concentrated Evil, warning that they can be deadly. After recovering the map, he allows the dwarves to rejoin him in his creation duties. The Supreme Being disappears with the dwarfs, leaving Kevin behind as a missed piece of Evil begins to smoulder.

Kevin awakens in his bedroom and finds it filled with smoke. Firefighters break down the door and rescue him as they put out a fire in his house. One of the firemen finds that his parents' new toaster oven caused the fire. As Kevin recovers, he finds one of the firemen resembles Agamemnon and discovers that he still has the photos from his adventure. Kevin's parents discover a smouldering rock in the toaster oven. Recognising it as a piece of Evil, Kevin warns them not to touch it, but they ignore him, do so, and explode, leaving only their shoes. As the Agamemnon-firefighter winks at the boy before leaving, Kevin approaches the smoking shoes and is seen from above as his figure grows smaller, revealing the planet and outer space, before being rolled up in the map by the Supreme Being.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[David Rappaport]] as Randall
* [[Kenny Baker (English actor)|Kenny Baker]] as Fidgit
* [[Malcolm Dixon (actor)|Malcolm Dixon]] as Strutter
* [[Mike Edmonds]] as Og
* [[Jack Purvis (actor)|Jack Purvis]] as Wally
* Tiny Ross as Vermin
* [[Craig Warnock]] as Kevin
* [[John Cleese]] as [[Robin Hood]]
* [[Sean Connery]] as [[Agamemnon]]/Fireman
* [[Shelley Duvall]] as Pansy
* [[Katherine Helmond]] as Mrs. Ogre
* [[Ian Holm]] as [[Napoleon]]
* [[Michael Palin]] as Vincent
* [[Ralph Richardson]] as Supreme Being
* [[Peter Vaughan]] as Winston the Ogre
* [[David Warner (actor)|David Warner]] as Evil
* [[David Daker]] as Trevor, Kevin's father
* [[Sheila Fearn]] as Diane, Kevin's mother
* [[Jim Broadbent]] as TV game show host
* [[John Young (actor)|John Young]] as Reginald
* [[Myrtle Devenish]] as Beryl
* [[Terence Bayler]] as Lucien
* [[Preston Lockwood]] as Neguy
* [[Charles McKeown]] as Theatre Manager
* [[Derrick O'Connor]] as Redgrave
* [[Neil McCarthy (actor)|Neil McCarthy]] as Marion
* [[Derek Deadman]] as Robert
* [[Jerold Wells]] as Benson
* Ian Muir as the Giant
* [[Tony Jay]] (''voice'') as the Supreme Being
}}

==Production==
===Development===
In November 1979, [[Terry Gilliam]] developed the concept for ''Time Bandits'' after he had started work on ''[[Brazil (1985 film)|Brazil]]''. [[Monty Python]] manager and producer [[Denis O'Brien (producer)|Denis O'Brien]] had difficulty understanding the concept of ''Brazil'', so Gilliam decided on the idea of a family film. O'Brien had set up [[HandMade Films]] in London for the former [[The Beatles|Beatle]] [[George Harrison]] to produce ''[[Monty Python's Life of Brian|Life of Brian]]'' and the initiative was to produce more films with Python talent. When Gilliam's pitch was accepted he co-wrote the script with fellow Python [[Michael Palin]].<ref name="gizmodo">{{cite web |last=Sellers |first=Robert |title=It's a miracle that Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits even got made |url=https://gizmodo.com/its-a-miracle-that-terry-gilliams-time-bandits-even-g-1332560707 |website=Gizmodo |language=en-us |date=17 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |title='Terry Gilliam: Career in 40 Minutes' |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=boxxgJIwbtc&feature=youtu.be |date=14 March 2014 |publisher=Total Film |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

===Casting===
[[Sean Connery]] was cast as Agamemnon after he met producer O'Brien on a golf course. A reference in the script introduced the character with the joke description: "Removing his helmet reveals himself to be none other than Sean Connery or an actor of equal but cheaper stature". Connery was a Python fan and agreed to do the role for a nominal fee in return for a share of the gross profits.<ref name="Gilliam/Palin 1">{{cite AV media |title='Gilliam/Palin Interview on Time Bandits, Part 1 of 3' |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x5LHk-OrcWo&feature=youtu.be |date=16 March 2008 |publisher=Oddmartian2 |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><ref name="gizmodo" />

The part of Robin Hood was originally written for Palin but [[John Cleese]] was eventually cast as his name was considered more bankable. Palin decided to appear with [[Shelley Duvall]] in the small recurring roles of Vincent and Pansy. Cleese based his performance on the [[Prince Edward, Duke of Kent|Duke of Kent]] by watching him having meaningless conversations with footballers at the [[FA Cup Final]] during the team line-up before the match. Cleese remarked: "It always struck me as the most extraordinary ritual, the complete futility of that walking up and down thing".<ref name="gizmodo" />

[[Ralph Richardson]]'s casting as the Supreme Being was because he was regarded "pretty much near God in the acting profession".<ref name="Gilliam/Palin 2">{{cite AV media |title='Gilliam/Palin Interview on Time Bandits, Part 2 of 3' |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3ofj3XeywjM&feature=youtu.be |date=16 March 2008 |publisher=Oddmartian2 |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> Richardson took his role seriously, marking out his lines in red ink and occasionally saying, "God wouldn't say that".<ref name="gizmodo" />

[[Ruth Gordon]] and [[Gilda Radner]] were considered for the role of Mrs. Ogre. Palin felt Gordon was the best choice but she had to drop out after sustaining an injury shooting ''[[Any Which Way You Can]]''. The studio wanted Radner considering her bankable, but Gilliam campaigned for [[Katherine Helmond]] due to the popularity of the TV comedy ''[[Soap (TV series)|Soap]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Evans |first1=Bradford |title=The Lost Roles of Gilda Radner |url=https://www.vulture.com/2012/03/the-lost-roles-of-gilda-radner.html |website=Vulture |language=en-us |date=22 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180731174928/https://www.vulture.com/2012/03/the-lost-roles-of-gilda-radner.html |archive-date=31 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Barnes |first=Mike |title=Katherine Helmond, the Man-Crazy Mother on 'Who's the Boss?' Dies at 89 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/katherine-helmond-dead-whos-the-boss-star-89-877766/ |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=1 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="WP">{{cite news |last=Ar |first=Gary |title=Terry Gilliam: On the Trail of 'Time Bandits' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1981/11/15/terry-gilliam-on-the-trail-of-time-bandits/d04966ff-a7f5-4c51-86c7-7980a75b84d8/ |newspaper=Washington Post |date=15 November 1981}}</ref>

[[Jonathan Pryce]] was offered the role of Evil but opted for another film (''[[Loophole (1981 film)|Loophole]]'') for a higher fee as "he was broke" at the time.<ref>{{cite web |last=Riley |first=Jenelle |title=Jonathan Pryce Revisits 'The Caretaker' and Plays Doctor in 'Hysteria' |url=https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/jonathan-pryce-revisits-caretaker-plays-doctor-hysteria-51775/ |website=backstage.com |language=en |date=5 November 2019}}</ref>

===Filming===
Filming was partly on location with [[Raglan Castle]] standing in for [[Castiglione delle Stiviere]], [[Epping Forest]] as [[Sherwood Forest]] and [[Aït Benhaddou]] as Agamemnon's palace in [[Mycenae]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Filming Locations for Time Bandits (1981), in Berkshire, Kent, Wales and Morocco. |url=http://movie-locations.com/movies/t/Time-Bandits.php |website=The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits |url=https://www.reelstreets.com/films/time-bandits/ |website=reelstreets.com}}</ref> Interior scenes were filmed at [[Fountain Studios|Lee International Film Studios]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits (1981) |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b697b6106 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811133843/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b697b6106 |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 August 2016 |website=BFI |language=en}}</ref> Gilliam said he wanted to film from a "kid's point of view" and therefore shot from a low camera angle. He also said, "fearing a child wouldn't sustain the film ... let's surround him with people of a similar height".<ref>{{cite AV media |title='Mark Lawson Talks to Terry Gilliam 3/4' |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=818&v=CfCxkFySvNk&feature=youtu.be |date=2014-11-17 |publisher=alexomat2 |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

During post-production, Gilliam had argued about changing the story's downbeat ending with O'Brien, who was also pressuring him to include some of Harrison's songs. Harrison eventually wrote and performed the closing credits song "[[Dream Away (George Harrison song)|Dream Away]]". The lyrics contained Harrison's comments on ''Time Bandits'' and on Gilliam's behaviour during the making of the film.<ref>{{cite web|first=Dom|last=Robinson|title=Time Bandits: Special Edition on Blu-ray – The DVDfever Review|url=https://dvd-fever.co.uk/time-bandits-special-edition-on-blu-ray-the-dvdfever-review/2/|website=DVDfever|date=26 August 2013|access-date=11 July 2020}}</ref>

=== Japanese release ===
The theatrical release in Japan was 1983. At cinemas outside of major metropolitan areas, preview screenings were shown as a double feature alongside the domestic production ''[[Harmagedon (film)|Harmagedon]]''.<ref>[[角川春樹]]『試写室の椅子』（角川書店、1985年）p.269</ref><ref name="allcinema">[https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/18816 映画 バンデットQ (1981)について] allcinema映画データベース</ref> Therefore, for commercial reasons on the part of the distributor who wanted to sell it as a children's programme, editing was carried out in a manner unique to Japan that "neglected the true intent of the work." Part of the scene of Robin Hood and the cannibal couple,<ref name="allcinema" /> and the last scene where the parents disappear were cut, resulting in a running time of approximately 103 minutes, approximately 13 minutes shorter than the original.<ref>[http://www.kinenote.com/main/public/cinema/detail.aspx?cinema_id=11438 バンデットQ - 作品情報] KINENOTE（[[キネマ旬報映画データベース]]）</ref>

The last scene was used uncut when it was aired on TV ("[[Sunday Western Movie Theater]]" broadcast on 10 January 1988). Each videogram version (LD, DVD, Blu-ray) released in Japan is the original full-length version.<ref name="allcinema" />

==Reception==
===Box office===
The film was released in the US on 6 November 1981 and opened at number one at the box office for the weekend, grossing $6,507,356 from 821 theatres.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=3|date=1981-11-11 |title='Bandits' Steal B.O. Thunder From Thin Pack; 'Halloween II' Plunges|last=Ginsberg|first=Steven}}</ref> The film remained number one for 4 weeks and grossed $36 million in the United States and Canada on a budget of $5 million (£2.2 million), and was the 13th highest-grossing film of the year in North America.<ref name="icon">Walker, Alexander (2005). ''Icons in the Fire: The Rise and Fall of Practically Everyone in the British Film Industry 1984–2000''. Orion Books. p. 12.</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Numbers – Top-Grossing Movies of 1981 |url=https://m.the-numbers.com/market/1981/top-grossing-movies |website=The Numbers}}</ref>

The film was re-released in the US on 12 November 1982<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=17 November 1982|page=3|title='Creepshow' Leads B.O. Upswing; 'First Blood' Still Flows Strong|last=Ginsberg|first=Steven}}</ref> and grossed a further $6 million<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=7 December 1982|page=1|title=National B.O. Takes Seasonal Dip Over Weekend|last=Ginsberg|first=Steven}}</ref> to take its gross to $42.4 million in the United States and Canada.<ref name=mojo/>

===Critical response===
On the review aggregator website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds a 91% rating based on 54 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The consensus states: "''Time Bandits'' is a remarkable time-travel fantasy from Terry Gilliam, who utilises fantastic set design and homemade special effects to create a vivid, original universe".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/time_bandits/ |title=Time Bandits |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Flixster]] |access-date=14 February 2021}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], it received a weighted average rating of 79 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/time-bandits|title=Time Bandits|website=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref>

The film had mainly positive reviews. Gary Arnold of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' said it was "a marvellous cinematic tonic, a sumptuous new classic in the tradition of time-travel and fairy-tale adventure".<ref>{{cite news |last=Arnold |first=Gary |title=Time Bandits |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=6 November 1981 |page=C1}}</ref> David Ansen of ''[[Newsweek]]'' considered it "at once sophisticated and childlike in its magical but emotionally cool logic ... a wonderful wild card in the fall movie season".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Ansen |first=David |title=Time Bandits |journal=[[Newsweek]] |date=9 November 1981 |page=92}}</ref> [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' said it was "a cheerfully irreverent lark – part fairy tale, part science fiction and part comedy".<ref>{{cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |title='TIME BANDITS,' A LARK THROUGH THE EONS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/06/movies/time-bandits-a-lark-through-the-eons.html |work=The New York Times |date=6 November 1981}}</ref>

Other critics gave the film less praise. [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' said: "I'm usually fairly certain whether or not I've seen a good movie. But my reaction to ''Time Bandits'' was ambiguous. I had great admiration for what was physically placed on the screen ... But I was disappointed by the breathless way the dramatic scenes were handled and by a breakneck pace that undermined the most important element of comedy, which is timing".<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |title=Time Bandits movie review & film summary (1981) {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/time-bandits-1981 |work=rogerebert.com |language=en}}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' thought it was "an uneven special effects extravaganza ... Unfortunately, there are just too many visits to famous people".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Siskel |first=Gene |title=Time Bandits |journal=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=25 December 1981 |page=12}}</ref> British critic [[Leslie Halliwell]] gave it one of four stars: "Curious tall tale in which schoolboy fantasy alternates with violence and black comedy. In general much less funny than it intended to be, but with some hilarious moments."<ref>Halliwell, Leslie - ''Halliwell's Film Guide'' - 7th Edition 1987 ISBN 0-06-016322-4</ref> [[Pauline Kael]] stated: "Gilliam has a cacophonous imagination; even the magical incongruities are often cancelled out by the incessant buzz of cleverness{{nbsp}}... The director doesn't shape the material satisfyingly; this may be one of those rare pictures that suffers from a surfeit of good ideas."<ref>Kael, Pauline - ''5001 Nights at the Movies'' 1991 ISBN 0-8050-1366-0</ref>

===Legacy===
Gilliam has referred to ''Time Bandits'' as the first in his "Trilogy of Imagination", followed by ''[[Brazil (1985 film)|Brazil]]'' (1985) and ending with ''[[The Adventures of Baron Munchausen]]'' (1988).<ref name="essay">Matthews, Jack (1996). "Dreaming Brazil". Essay accompanying [[The Criterion Collection]] DVD.</ref> All are about the "craziness of our awkwardly ordered society and the desire to escape it through whatever means possible".<ref name="essay" /> All three films focus on these struggles and attempts to escape them through imagination: ''Time Bandits'' through the eyes of a child, ''Brazil'' through the eyes of a man in his thirties, and ''Munchausen'' through the eyes of an elderly man.<ref name="essay" />

The film is ranked No. 22 on ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine's "The 50 best kids' movies".<ref>{{cite web |title=The 50 best kids' movies |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-kids-movies/ |website=Empire|year=2023 }}</ref> It is listed as one of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine's "Top 10 Time-Travel Movies".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Full List |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2010/03/26/top-10-time-travel-movies/slide/all/ |magazine=Time}}</ref>

Game designer [[Richard Garriott]] was inspired by ''Time Bandits'' while creating the 1982 game ''[[Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress]]'', stating that he watched the film about 20 times to create a copy of the time map, as his game would feature a similar mechanic of "time doors" and the game's box even had a similar cloth map inside.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Allen |last=Rausch |title=From Origin to Destination - Page 1 |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/tabula-rasa/512497p1.html |date=7 May 2004 |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=GameSpy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |user=RichardGarriott |number=1062000529591668739 |title=True! Watched it like 20 times with friends all sketching... to find it was not a ms real as I hoped... so, I made a "real" one! |date=2018-11-12 |access-date=2024-07-15}}</ref>

==Home media==
The film was originally released in December 1982 on [[Betamax]], [[VHS]], [[Video 2000]] and [[CED Videodisc]] in the UK and on VHS in the US the same year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits (Betamax, VHS, Video 2000) |url=http://www.pre-cert.co.uk/display.php?vId=UK08214 |website=Pre-Certification Video}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits (CED) |url=http://www.pre-cert.co.uk/display.php?vId=UK11593 |website=Pre-Certification Video}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits (US VHS) |url=https://vhscollector.com/movie/time-bandits |website=vhscollector.com}}</ref>

In 1997, it was released on [[LaserDisc]] by [[The Criterion Collection]] and includes commentary by Gilliam and Palin, Cleese, Warner and Warnock. It also includes a ''Time Bandits'' Scrapbook.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Factory |first1=LaserDisc |title=Time Bandits – Criterion LaserDisc |url=https://dadons.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2128 |website=DaDon's |language=en}}</ref>

In 1999, a [[DVD]] was released by Criterion with the original 1997 LaserDisc features and the theatrical trailer. The same year [[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] released a version with no extras or special features.<ref name="CB">{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Margaret |title=Time Bandits |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/dvds/Time-Bandits-1073.html |website=cinemablend.com |language=en |date=27 May 2016}}</ref> In 2004, Anchor Bay released the DVD as a Divimax edition on two discs with special features but no commentary. The features include the [[American Film Institute|AFI]]'s 'The Films of Terry Gilliam' documentary; an interview with Gilliam and Palin; theatrical trailers; Gilliam's bio; and a [[DVD-ROM]] with the original screenplay and a fold-out Map of the Universe.<ref name="CB"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits: Divimax Edition (1981) |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/timebanditsdivimax.shtml |website=dvdmg.com}}</ref>

In 2010, a [[Blu-ray]] version was released by Anchor Bay and included an interview with Gilliam and a theatrical trailer.<ref>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits [Blu-Ray] (1981) |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/timebanditsbr.shtml |website=www.dvdmg.com}}</ref> In 2013, a Blu-ray version was released by [[Arrow Films]] in the UK. The original [[35 mm movie film|35mm]] negative was scanned at [[2K resolution]] and the restoration was approved by Gilliam.<ref>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits Blu-ray (United Kingdom) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Time-Bandits-Blu-ray/71710/ |website=www.blu-ray.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits |url=https://www.arrowfilms.com/blu-ray/time-bandits/10802567.html |website=Arrow Films UK |language=en-gb}}</ref> In 2014, a Blu-ray was released by Criterion as a new 2K digital restoration and includes the original commentary from the 1997 LaserDisc by Gilliam and Palin, Cleese, Warner and Warnock; a feature with production designer Milly Burns and costume designer James Acheson; a 1998 conversation between Gilliam and film scholar Peter von Bagh; a 1981 appearance by Shelley Duvall on [[Tom Snyder]]'s ''[[The Tomorrow Show]]''; a photo gallery; the theatrical trailer; and an insert that has a reproduction of the Map of the Universe on one side and an essay by David Sterritt on the other.<ref>{{cite web |last=Dellamorte |first=Andre |title=Tootsie Criterion Blu-ray Review, Plus Reviews for Time Bandits and The Night Porter |url=https://collider.com/tootise-criterion-blu-ray-review-time-bandits/ |website=Collider |date=17 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits: Criterion Collection [Blu-Ray] (1981) |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/timebanditscriterionbr.shtml |website=www.dvdmg.com}}</ref><ref name="criterion">{{cite web |title=Time Bandits |url=https://www.criterion.com/films/232-time-bandits |website=The Criterion Collection |language=en}}</ref> In 2023, a [[Ultra HD Blu-ray|4K UHD]] version was released by Arrow Films and Criterion, again with the transfer supervised by Gilliam, including the same special features as the earlier 2K version.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cole |first1=Jake |title='Time Bandits' 4K UHD Blu-ray Review: The Criterion Collection |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/time-bandits-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-terry-gilliam/ |work=Slant Magazine |date=16 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Time Bandits Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD |url=https://www.arrowfilms.com/4k/time-bandits-limited-edition-4k-ultra-hd/14837762.html |website=Arrow Films UK |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref name="criterion" />

==Comic book adaptation==
[[Marvel Comics]] published a comic book adaptation of the film in February 1982. It was written by [[Steve Parkhouse]] and drawn by [[David Lloyd (comics)|David Lloyd]] and [[John Stokes (comics)|John Stokes]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Friedt |first=Stephan |title=Marvel at the Movies: The House of Ideas' Hollywood Adaptations of the 1970s and 1980s |journal=[[Back Issue!]] |issue=89 |page= 65 |publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]] |date=July 2016 |location=Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref>

==Planned sequel==
Gilliam and [[Charles McKeown]] wrote a script for ''Time Bandits II'' in 1996 and planned to bring back the original cast, except for David Rappaport and Tiny Ross who had since died. When Jack Purvis died the following year, the sequel was shelved.<ref>{{cite book|title=Terry Gilliam: Interviews|page=217|author=Terry Gilliam, David Sterritt, Lucille Rhodes|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|year=2004|isbn=9781578066247}}</ref>

==Television series==
{{Main|Time Bandits (TV series)}}

In July 2018, it was announced that [[Apple Inc.]] had gained rights and closed a deal with [[Anonymous Content]], [[Paramount Television Studios]], and [[Media Rights Capital|MRC Television]] to develop a television series version of the [[Terry Gilliam]] film, also entitled ''Time Bandits'', to distribute on [[Apple TV+]], with Gilliam on board set to serve only as executive producer (thus in a non-writing production role) and [[Taika Waititi]] set to co-write and direct the pilot.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |title=Apple Makes Rights Deal To Turn Terry Gilliam's ''Time Bandits'' Into TV Series |url=https://deadline.com/2018/07/time-bandits-apple-tv-series-deal-terry-gilliam-anonymous-content-paramount-television-mrc-1202435077/ |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=19 August 2023 |date=27 July 2018 |archive-date=27 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727204718/https://deadline.com/2018/07/time-bandits-apple-tv-series-deal-terry-gilliam-anonymous-content-paramount-television-mrc-1202435077/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|last2=D'Alessandro|first2=Anthony|date=11 March 2019|title=Taika Waititi To Co-Write & Direct 'Time Bandits' Series In Works At Apple From Paramount, Anonymous Content & MRC|url=https://deadline.com/2019/03/taika-waititi-write-direct-time-bandits-series-in-works-at-apple-1202573383/|access-date=17 March 2021|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Lisa Kudrow]] stars alongside Kal-El Tuck, [[Charlyne Yi]], [[Tadhg Murphy (actor)|Tadhg Murphy]], Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, [[Rune Temte]], Kiera Thompson and [[Rachel House (actress)|Rachel House]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2022/09/time-bandits-lisa-kudrow-lead-cast-taika-waititi-apple-series-1235129518/ |title='Time Bandits': Lisa Kudrow To Lead Cast Of Taika Waititi's Apple Series |first=Denise |last=Petski |date=28 September 2022 |access-date=29 September 2022 |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>

Production took place in [[New Zealand]] in late 2022 and early 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last=Taylor |first=Drew |title=Taika Waititi's ''Star Wars'' Movie Won't Shoot This Year |url=https://www.thewrap.com/taika-waititi-star-wars-movie-filming-update-2023/ |work=[[TheWrap]] |access-date=19 August 2023 |date=2022-06-27 |archive-date=27 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627170348/https://www.thewrap.com/taika-waititi-star-wars-movie-filming-update-2023/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0081633}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=93355}}
* {{mojo title|timebandits}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|time_bandits}}
* {{screenonline title|471893}}
* [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/46-time-bandits "Time Bandits"], an essay by Bruce Eder at the [[Criterion Collection]]

{{Terry Gilliam}}
{{HandMade Films}}
{{The President's Memorial Award}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1980s fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:1980s fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:1981 independent films]]
[[Category:1981 films]]
[[Category:British fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:British fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:British independent films]]
[[Category:Depictions of Napoleon on film]]
[[Category:Films about dwarfs]]
[[Category:Films adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:Ogres in film]]
[[Category:Embassy Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films about RMS Titanic]]
[[Category:1980s films about time travel]]
[[Category:Films based on classical mythology]]
[[Category:Films directed by Terry Gilliam]]
[[Category:Films produced by Terry Gilliam]]
[[Category:Films scored by Trevor Jones]]
[[Category:Films set in ancient Greece]]
[[Category:Films set in England]]
[[Category:Films shot in Morocco]]
[[Category:Films shot in England]]
[[Category:HandMade Films films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Terry Gilliam]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Michael Palin]]
[[Category:Works about dwarfism]]
[[Category:Robin Hood parodies]]
[[Category:Robin Hood films]]
[[Category:Agamemnon]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s British films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Time travelers]]