With Apple TV+’s latest release, Time Bandits is refreshing, funny and most of all — a good time.
A television remake of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 classic, Time Bandits follows Kevin (Kal-El Tuck), a young boy whose parents are taken from him and he must side with the rambunctious and clumsy Time Bandits as they traverse history to save his parents. A sinister battle between Pure Evil (Jemaine Clement) and The Supreme Being (Taika Waititi) is being fought behind the scenes while the Bandits travel to the Georgian era, Medieval times, the Ice Age and more!
A premise that really leans into some of the more absurdist humour that made many fans fall in love with the styles of Clement and Waititi. The duo serve as showrunners for the series, having previously created Wellington Paranormal, but this time Iain Morris joined the fray. The product in my opinion is a silly but enjoyable show in the same vein as the What We Do In The Shadows film.
The humour truly cements the category of comedy the series belongs in. All humour is situational, making for many unique jokes that can’t be replicated without these very specific situations, courtesy of Taika Waititi, Akilah Green, Melanie Bracewell, Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris, Tyrell Williams and Sam Bain. The show serves as a return to form for Waititi, who performed poorly with Thor: Love and Thunder and underwhelmed with Next Goal Wins (which wasn’t bad necessarily), which he co-wrote with Iain Morris.
What truly is interesting about this show isn’t the unique sci-fi and fantasy meld or the great costume design, but rather how it gives a spotlight to many of its characters over the course of its ten half-hour episodes, whilst still maintaining a very clear main character. The story of the show itself leaves a little to be desired, with the overarching villain(s) only being teased each episode in 30-second segments. It leaves those characters underbaked, but you can’t help but love them due to the infectious charisma of the two actors.
There are only a few character arcs throughout the series, mainly focused on Lisa Kudrow’s Penelope, who in my opinion is a highlight. The series ultimately hinges on taste and what periods of history interest you as an audience member.
I for one am not interested in Prohibition-era America or the Mayan era and found those episodes to be slightly boring, even if still witty, but really was delighted in the silliness found in the Georgian episode and the one belonging to Mansa Musa. I would love for the series to get a second season to explore more concepts and time periods, but I fear allegations against an unnamed cast member may halt any plans.
Another issue I found within the show was its lack of visual flair, feeling quite mundane and uninteresting. The show has this pastel feel, exemplified by the marketing, that really does nail the 80s tone but also presents many shots as washed and void of nuance. Time Bandits did film in New Zealand though, making for some beautiful scenery in some of the long shots that are more prevalent in the start and endings of episodes.
Time Bandits is at its best with its dialogue, and witty situational comedy, courtesy of veterans Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris. Although the show doesn’t put much effort into the narrative, the chemistry and dynamic created by the humour makes for a silly, yet fun time.
Time Bandits stars Lisa Kudrow, Kal-El Tuck, Tadhg Murphy, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Rune Temte, Charlyne Yi, Rachel House, Kiera Thompson, Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. All ten episodes of the show are now streaming on Apple TV+. A second season is yet to be announced.
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