Apple’s ‘Time Bandits’ Remake Won’t Make History

1981 movie bandits in time This movie was a huge hit with me as a kid. I went in expecting it to be an unofficial Monty Python movie, because half of the legendary comedy troupe was involved: Terry Gilliam directed and co-wrote it with Michael Palin, and Palin and John Cleese had supporting roles. Beyond that, the idea of ​​a boy about my age traveling through history with a group of thieves, all played by little actors—one of them, Kenny “R2-D2” Baker, no less—sounded like an exciting adventure. But Gilliam wasn’t trying to recreate Monty Python. The movie was more weird than funny. For weeks afterward, I was plagued by nightmares inspired by the ending, in which our young hero's parents explode after touching a real piece of pure evil (the film's villain), leaving the boy completely alone—even the fireman (played by Sean Connery) who resembles Agamemnon, the mythical hero who became a surrogate father figure during a previous adventure.

New Apple bandits in time Series of What do we do in the shade? Creators Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, as well as Ian Morris (BrokersThis series seems designed to fit more closely with the version of the movie I had in mind than the one Gilliam actually made. It’s sillier, funnier, and lighter throughout. Apple has dedicated it to the Kids & Family tab on the app, and there’s nothing in the 10-episode first season that looks likely to give viewers of any age nightmares. Even the demons working for evil (played here by Clement, with Waititi as his celestial counterpart, the Supreme Being) are intentionally cartoonish.

But if this is new bandits in time The movie comes close to fulfilling my years-long ambition, but its execution is patchy. There’s a coherent series of episodes at the end of the season, but most of what comes before that is silly and fun but forgettable. Whatever issues I have with what Gilliam and company have done in the past, the movie has stuck with me for decades.

This time, our hero is Kevin (Kal-El Tuck), an 11-year-old English boy whose obsession with history annoys his sister Saffron (Kira Thompson) and their parents. When the Time Thieves wander into Kevin's bedroom, he eagerly follows them into history, visiting Stonehenge and the Great Wall of China while both were still in the early stages of construction, Troy as a giant wooden horse is being driven to the city gates, New York in the final days of Prohibition, and other vivid moments from the past.

The show features a few minor characters in smaller roles, as detectives hunting down the Time Thieves on behalf of the Supreme Being. But the Thieves themselves are Penelope (Lisa Kudrow), who continues to loudly protest the group's lack of a leader, even though she clearly believes she is; and Judy (Charlyn Yi), the resident sympathizer and psychiatrist.

Aspiring actor and unskilled master of disguise Alto (Tadhg Murphy); strong but dimwitted Beetlej (Ron Temte); and map-reader Widget (Roger Gene Nsengiyumva). Evil sends the demon Fianna (Rachel House) – who happens to be Widget's ex-girlfriend – to pursue them, while Saffron ends up lost in time as well, trying to track down her brother.

Clement as the evil villain

Much of the comedy relies on outdated humor. Kevin, who has long dreamed of learning the origins of Stonehenge, is dismayed to discover that the site was built as a tourist trap, and that its inventors plan to add a gift shop. In a later episode, the thieves end up in the middle of the 1343 siege of Kaffa, where citizens who don’t believe in the bubonic plague are written off as COVID-19 deniers with a following on social media. (“Follow me for more great tips!” one boasts after suggesting bathing in your own urine. Asked where someone might follow him, he explains: “On foot!”) A little of this goes a long way, especially when the thieves themselves are relatively monotone. Related There are some inspired jokes here and there, and some well-used guest actors like Waititi's Con O'Neill. Our flag means death As Sheriff of Nottingham. But it wasn't until episode seven that he became the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The novel seems to find its way to success, largely through the introduction of Saffron. Her disrespect for history proves to be a stronger comedic driver than Kevin’s love of history, even if that love does lead to some good moments here and there. (Instead of Agamemnon, Kevin’s surrogate father figure is the West African ruler Mansa Musa.)

Common As with most Apple shows, the money is in the screen. The special effects are great, as are the historical reenactments and some of the fantastical scenes, like the sinister Dark Castle. The episodes after Saffron joins the gang — and after Penelope and the others have accepted once and for all that these kids are now part of their gang — are livelier, funnier and more consistent than the ones that come earlier in the season. I can imagine a younger me marveling at the visuals, and enjoying Saffron riding on the back of a mastodon while screaming, “You don’t know me, Conscience!” But this is a lesser work than its creators, as it has the gruff comedic quality of their more famous material, but it’s not quite as distinctive, funny or emotionally gripping as it should be. It seems unlikely to make nearly the same impression on its target audience. The first two episodes of