In this fantastic voyage through time and space from Terry Gilliam, a boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) escapes his gadget-obsessed parents to join a band of time travelers. Armed with a map stolen from the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), they plunder treasure from Napoleon (Ian Holm) and Agamemnon (Sean Connery)—but the Evil Genius (David Warner) is watching their every move. Featuring a darkly playful script by Gilliam and his Monty Python cohort Michael Palin (who also appears in the film), Time Bandits is at once a giddy fairy tale, a revisionist history lesson, and a satire of technology gone awry.

For thoughts on Time Bandits, please check out our discussions on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/-PPneOXXT6M?t=1172]

Video Quality

The Criterion Collection presents Time Bandits with a fantastic 2160p HDR/Dolby Vision transfer in its original 1.85:1 sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative that has been supervised by director Terry Gilliam. The film was previously released nearly nine years ago on Blu-Ray with an older 2K scan by Criterion, which we do have for the sake of comparison. While the older transfer was very pleasing at the time of release and still holds up very well, this new release is our new favorite presentation of the film.

This transfer maintains the natural film grain which resolves in a more tight and controlled manner, allowing for a sumptuous amount of fine detail to show up. Distinct elements of the production design and costumes reveal more minute facets than the previous presentation. There is no trace of grain reduction as you get a fine, thick sheen that resolves evenly without breaking up into swarmy noise. There are elements of this presentation such as the numerous smoky or hazy environments that put the transfer to the test, but this encode mostly holds its own. Take a look when the group are on the ship in the dense fog and see how the transfer handles the tough environment. Any minor moments of print damage such as nicks or scratches have also been eliminated.

The new Dolby Vision transfer brings a rich vibrancy out of this natural palette as you drill in on some hues that seem more complex than ever. The varied landscapes are a treat and certain costumes stand out, but you should not go in expecting a candy-colored spectacle. This presentation is more concerned with accuracy rather than a “pop” to the imagery There is some improvement in the handling of the contrast. The film handles the black levels very well as it almost never succumbs to crush or noise. Highlights are put to the test in some of the environments, but you never spot any blooming as whites radiate famously. This transfer is a pretty great effort for fans of the film thanks to the Criterion Collection.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with an LPCM 2.0 stereo track remastered at 24-bit from the 35mm magnetic track which handles this material famously. There does not seem to be any glaring instances of age-related wear and tear as the track holds up well. The dialogue flows through crisp and clear with perfect fidelity. Environmental sounds are brought to life with a fair amount of power alongside everything else. The low end allows for a small bit of text, but it is far from a standout given the setup. There is no threat of it overwhelming vital information, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. The score is used perfectly to maintain the tone of the story, and this track allows it to sound truly great. The Criterion Collection has given this film a favorable audio experience. There are English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Time Bandits includes a foldout booklet featuring the map from the movie on one side and the essay “Guerrilla Fantasy” by critic David Sterritt on the other which gives a rich analysis of the film. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Director Terry Gilliam, cowriter-actor Michael Palin, and actors John Cleese, David Warner, and Craig Warnock provide separate insights that are stitched together to create an engaging commentary track. This piece explores the ideas behind the narrative, the atmosphere on set, making the most out of their smaller budget, the themes of the picture, the performances and much more. This was recorded in 1997 and is well worth a listen for fans.

Creating The Worlds of Time Bandits: A nearly 24-minute piece narrated by film writer David Morgan which explores the creation and development of the look of this film with production designer Milly Burns and costume designer James Acheson. There are some great insights into how the characters evolved during the process and why each piece of this cinematic puzzle appears as it does.

Terry Gilliam and Peter Von Bagh: A very in-depth 80-minute conversation between Terry Gilliam and film scholar Peter von Bagh in which the director discusses his childhood and early interest in film, the different directors that inspired him, his work as a cartoonist, how societal views and politics have impacted his art, his work with Monty Python, the creation of Time Bandits, and much more that makes for an engaging listen.

Shelley Duvall: A nine-minute excerpt from a 1981 episode of Tom Snyder’s Tomorrow NBC show in which Shelley Duvall discusses her work on Time Bandits, injuries sustained on set, working on films that appeal to children, the professional nature of the Monty Python crew, getting into performing and more.

Stills Gallery: A collection of rare behind-the-scenes stills are provided.

Trailer: The three-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Time Bandits is a really fun, mature fairytale from the inventive mind of Terry Gilliam which weaves in and out of some creepy places. The care brought into crafting this journey can be seen in every scene as the production design, special effects and costumes all blend together for something quite magical. Some of the jokes are a tad dated, but there is still a lot that will make you laugh. Beyond that, there is a lot of subtext that can be taken away and debated, which is always an added bonus for those who want some intellectual stimulation. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers a really good A/V presentation and great selection of archival special features. If you are a fan of the film, this is the best release yet. Recommended

The Criterion Collection edition of Time Bandits is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD, Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.