Taika Waititi’s Apple TV+ Adaption of Gilliam Cult Classic Rewards Patience

Thanks to Steven Spielberg and his various acolytes, ’80s kids enjoyed a plethora of entertainment made directly for them. However, that didn’t mean we weren’t periodically traumatized by films like Gremlins, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, or, for my younger brother, The ‘Burbs.

Nobody specialized in making ostensibly kid-friendly movies with darker elements quite like Terry Gilliam. One of my early movie memories involves abruptly leaving a screening of Jabberwocky because it wasn’t the film my parents expected. Audiences experienced similar unease with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and, before that, 1981’s Time Bandits, a playful yet dark journey through a young boy’s dreamlike adventures.

Most of those jagged edges have been smoothed out in Apple TV+’s new adaptation of Time Bandits. This new version focuses more on the romp aspect of the original, eschewing much of the weirdness. This is typical of co-creator and occasional series director Taika Waititi, whose style can be summarized as “Terry Gilliam with bowling bumpers.”

This comparison isn’t necessarily an insult. Gilliam could sometimes benefit from those bumpers. The new Time Bandits spends its initial episodes as something flat but amiably so. My interest began to wane as the series tried to mimic the movie exactly. However, around episodes six to nine, Time Bandits starts to find its own story, its own voice, and its own approach to time travel.

The series, developed by Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris alongside Waititi, begins efficiently. We quickly meet Kevin (Kal-El Tuck), an 11-year-old obsessed with history and often picked on because of his nerdiness. His life is dull until he discovers that his bedroom wardrobe is a portal, a “time egress.” From it emerge five time-traveling bandits: Penelope (Lisa Kudrow), Judy (Charlyne Yi), Alto (Tadhg Murphy), Bittelig (Rune Temte), and Widgit (Roger Jean Nsengiyumva).

The bandits, former employees of the Supreme Being (Waititi), have stolen a precious map allowing them to travel through time to steal treasures. The Supreme Being is not pleased, while his adversary, Pure Evil (Clement), is thrilled. Pure Evil sends Fianna (Rachel House), who shoots fire lasers from her eyes, to retrieve the map by any means necessary.

The movie gave the creators an easy blueprint. Kevin and the bandits hop from one significant historical era to another, often clueless about how the map functions, while comic embodiments of good and evil plot their downfall. The series creators don’t avoid self-repetition, making the first half of the season feel like Monty Python karaoke.

In polishing away the rough edges, they adopt traces of Mel Brooks and the feeling of both the British and CBS versions of Ghosts. Although there are chuckles to be found, they are derivative, especially in episodes about the Trojan Horse and the Middle Ages. The show soon falls into a pattern that becomes dull.

The history and overall storytelling incrementally progress in unremarkable ways. The DIY approach that made the film a cult favorite is replaced by more conventional filmmaking. The first half of the season, although a chance for Tuck’s enthusiastic screen presence to shine, feels unremarkable.

However, the series takes a turn with an increased focus on Saffron (Kiera Thompson), Kevin’s sister. Her different energy and a journey of her own allow Time Bandits to finally establish its own story. Episodes seven and eight, written by Clement, put Saffron at the forefront, adding hilarity and a clearer personal arc. Her youthfully sardonic delivery fuels the show’s take on anachronism and dramatic irony.

The show, though, still struggles with integrating Clement and Waititi’s characters fully as adversaries. Despite this, there’s some complexity in how “good” and “evil” are depicted. The closing episodes set up the series interestingly for future seasons, with Kudrow’s Penelope becoming more sympathetic and human, and a smart approach to address the dwarf erasure from the transition to the small screen.

The new gear Time Bandits finds in its second half isn’t necessarily ambitious but it’s fun and sets the stage for more. Whether a less disturbing, less bizarre Time Bandits is a pro or con is something viewers must decide, but it’s definitely something worth watching.

Source: Apple TV+