Time Bandits

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Time Bandits

PG

1981

1h 50m

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Young history buff Kevin (Craig Warnock) can scarcely believe it when six dwarfs emerge from his closet one night. Former employees of the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), they've purloined a map charting all 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 (Ian Holm), Robin Hood (John Cleese) and King Agamemnon (Sean Connery) before the Supreme Being catches up with them.

Critics Consensus

Time Bandits is a remarkable time-travel fantasy from Terry Gilliam, who utilizes fantastic set design and homemade special effects to create a vivid, original universe.

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

08/09/2023

a funny, weird cameo-filled caper that finds value even in vice, and lets wild imagination ultimately win out over drab reality.

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Bob Thomas

Associated Press

10/22/2018

The film lacks what Garland, Lahr, Haley, Bolger, et al, had in abundance: humanity and charm.

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Tasha Robinson

The Dissolve

12/17/2014

3.5/5

Time Bandits is one of Gilliam's more chaotic films, which is really saying something, but his six time-bandits fill the screen with fractious energy.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

06/27/2023

2.5/4

Gilliam’s films tend to be either awe-inspiring or overbearing, and this one manages to dip into both columns.

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

06/22/2023

... weird, wild, and at the edge of madness.

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Kevin Carr

Fat Guys at the Movies

04/14/2023

3.5/4

Out there in the most Gilliam sort of way, this story balances whimsy with existential depression.

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Ben W

@Username618 Apr 25

Again, this sort of French, meaning textural rather than obvious, open ended ending? Nah.

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Vincent S

@Vin_E_At_The_Movies Feb 24

I loved seeing this in a theater as a 13-year-old kid and watching it now, the imagination and creativity still stand tall. Though a little overlong, there are moments here that are pure magic and very funny moments too. The creativity here is outstanding.

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Zachary Jacob S

@RT29975639 Jan 30

While certainly a classic, and having interesting elements. Time Bandits is a shallow mess with little to nothing to offer in the category of consistency and character development.

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Renee C

@ReneeMC Jan 4

I've always liked this movie.

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jonathan A

@RT93055276 Sep 27

this is a must see, 45 years old and as good as the day it came out

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CodyZamboni Z

@CodyZamboni 02/09/2025

Underwhelming fantasy comedy, courtesy of some of the Monty Python troupe. There are some amazing set designs and sequences, And Sean Connery seems to be having a good time, But overall, movie is emotionally distant, with way too much silliness, And an ending that left me cold..

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Synopsis

Young history buff Kevin (Craig Warnock) can scarcely believe it when six dwarfs emerge from his closet one night. Former employees of the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), they've purloined a map charting all 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 (Ian Holm), Robin Hood (John Cleese) and King Agamemnon (Sean Connery) before the Supreme Being catches up with them.

Director: Terry Gilliam
Producer: Terry Gilliam
Screenwriter: Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin
Distributor: Criterion Collection, AVCO Embassy Pictures
Production Co: Handmade Films
Rating: PG
Genre: Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 13, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 27, 2016
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.85:1)