Time Bandits

First and second episode review: I didn't find the trailer too interesting, so I wasn't really excited to watch this show. But because of Lisa Kudrow, the adventure genre, and it being an Apple TV Plus comedy show, I decided to give it a try.

To be honest, at the beginning, it seemed kind of normal. I thought about skipping it after 20 minutes because it felt childish, average, and predictable. But as I continued watching, I really started to like it. I watched both episodes. The duration is fine, although I usually prefer comedy shows that are a bit shorter. This is the first adventure genre show I've watched, and I really enjoyed it. There were some nice jokes, and the show has a cool vibe. The cast is awesome, especially the young kid, who is a really good actor, and Lisa Kudrow, who is still amazing. I loved the visuals, the feel of the show, and the little bit of history lessons. I haven't watched the 1981 movie, but I don't think I need to since I'll be watching the remaining episodes. I would have liked the show even more if there was some romantic tension and if the episodes were less than 30 minutes. Also, it would have been better if all the episodes were released at once, but two episodes a week is also fine.

Overall, it's a nice, fun watch. This show might not be for everyone but it's definitely for me as I too would love to escape the reality. 3/5.

Update: I just finished watching all the episodes, and my ratings remain the same. If you don't think too logically, you might enjoy it. Kids will probably like it more. The ending is not predictable, which is good, although they ended it on a cliffhanger, likely aiming for a season 2 renewal. I'm not sure if a season 2 is necessary, but if it happens, I will watch it.

I understand people not liking this. It's light and breezy, it doesn't really need to exist and it mostly destroys the charm of the practical effects which helped make the original so great. But the original was simple-minded in its ending, and this one adds more complexity to the dynamics involving the parents (using the word complexity liberally). And, like the original, it's very funny. The Prohibition episode in particular I found to be very enjoyable. This won't be for everyone, and I would get a hardcore Gilliam fan's anger against it, but sometimes, you just need to turn off your brain and enjoy yourself, and this show is a perfect way to do that. I spend all my time watching movies or reading about them on LetterBoxd, so the fact that I am not only watching a show, but looking forward to it and enjoying it enough to write a review certainly says something.

So I started watching this as a big fan of the original film; one of my favourite films. For about the first ten minutes I hated it. And initially I thought it was just Political Correctness gone wrong to change the physical nature of the original bandits. But then I stopped comparing and started to appreciate this for what it is.

It's a modern take on an old tale, but is well made, with some great characters, and a few genuine 'laugh out loud' funny moments. I've just watch the first two episodes and can honestly say I'm really enjoying it.

The young lad playing Kevin is brilliant and, despite what a few other reviews have said, Lisa Kudrow has a really great character too.

The nostalgia police are out in full force to bash this show but it's actually brilliant. The people who rate it poorly will almost never be satisfied with a remake because their memories of the classics are all viewed through rose colored lenses. People were right about the Willow series, which actually was an unwatchable disaster, but the harsh critics are wrong about this. I have great respect for the integrity of IMDB ratings. I use them to filter out all of the garbage, so if people are going to gang up to distort the quality of a show I'm going to defend it!

Taika Waititi was the best possible choice (other than Terry Gilliam himself, who's now 83) to make this adaptation. His humor is dry and witty but still appropriate for kids 10+. This is not one of his second-rate shows where you can tell he was a passive force in production. It's obvious he's a fan of the original and that he put effort into making this not just entertaining, but also insightful and even a bit educational in that it reveals the all-too-beautifully-flawed humanity of our predecessors throughout history.

The whole family will be laughing out loud at the same jokes, which is not easy to achieve. It requires a bit of wit, whereas so much humor these days takes the easy route of shock or vulgarity for adults or overuse of clichés and/or slapstick for kids. Some parts might be a little scary for younger kids (which is true to the original) but our 12 year old is thoroughly enjoying it.

Kevin was cast well. He'll be relatable to kids who don't fit the popularity mold and prefer reading and utilizing their imagination to climbing the middle school social ladder. Jemaine Clement is amazing in the roll of Wrongness... absolutely hilarious! Waititi is also fantastic in the role of the Supreme Being. The bandits may be of different proportions from those featured in the 80s but that has absolutely no bearing on the quality of their chemistry, and I think Lisa Kudrow does a fine job as well and is funny in her own right.

Our family struggles with a lack of family shows that are entertaining for both kids and adults. We usually end up in some kind of compromise where one or the other party is enjoying the show while the other one sort of loses interest and ends up looking at their phone. This show is one of the rare gems that will have the whole family sharing laughs and wanting more.

Time Bandits is light silly fun, with time travel, Jemaine Clement at his campiest, and Taika Waititi in a wig. What more could you ask for? If you're looking for something comforting and silly, this is the show for you. Do all the jokes land? No. But most of them do. Come for the jokes and stay for the rag tag found family of bandits.

Combine that with incredible effects (many of them practical effects) and lots of care put into the sets, costumes, puppetry, and extras. It's clear there was a lot of thought and work put into putting this show together. You might even learn a few things about history while you're watching!