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I was really excited for this. Time Bandits was a classic movie for me growing up, and I still show it to friends that hadn't seen it before. Hearing that Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement were involved just ramped up my anticipation. And then... disappointment.

The first episode was quirky, not at the same level as the movie, but I was willing to give it a chance and see it through. Clement as Pure Evil is a great match. But Lisa Kudrow can't act, and certainly isn't capable of carrying a show on her own. She's a one trick pony, and I half expected her to break into "Smelly Cat" at any time. I never have high expectations for child actors, Kal-El Tuck wasn't bad in the role, but he certainly didn't add much. Some of the supporting Bandits were fun in a quirky way. The show really started to fall apart once Saffron took on a bigger role, the writing for her was cringe-worthy and the chemistry between Kevin and Saffron was non-existent.

The writing is really where the show really falls apart. Running jokes that aren't particularly funny the first time are beaten to death, repeated scenes where people shouting over each other constitutes "dialog", and a premise that has shown it can be fun is wasted.

It was really difficult to make it through all 10 episodes, especially when the original told a better and more entertaining story in under 2 hours.

I really don't want to spoil anything about this movie. I didn't know what to expect going in and I don't want to give a review that creates any expectations. That being said, there is a LOT of uninspired and unoriginal drivel coming out of Hollywood these days, movies that are formulaic and predictable, and run about half an hour longer than they need to. This movie is not one of those. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and it kept me glued to the screen because I honestly couldn't predict what might happen next. Yes, it's weird and bizarre, almost along the lines of Being John Malkovich, but it's a fun ride and definitely worth checking out, especially if you want something different.

I was a little skeptical of it being a musical, but I'm going to say after watching "Spirited" (and I thought that required watching it with spirits, so in full disclosure, I obliged), Will Ferrell is the king of Christmas movies. I dare say I wouldn't need the alcohol to enjoy it, the best thing about the movie is that it knows what it is and actively makes fun of it. Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds are both very charismatic and have the ability to carry a movie on its own, and together their magic is additive. And while I expected this to simply be a retelling of "A Christmas Carol", it's actually much more, more of an extension of the story. Is it perfect or without flaws? Of course not, it could have been half an hour shorter, easily, as most movies these days. But it's an enjoyable watch.