Fantasy comedy from Monty Python alum has dark humor, peril.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a lot
Considerable cartoonish violence, nearly all of it played for humor: A horse rider and a group of men carrying guns and a baseball bat burst through a child's bedroom closet, scaring him—a gunshot sound whizzes by, and the group attacks the child (no one gets injured). An eerie, shadowed floating face called the Supreme Being chases the main characters, voice booming. Battles have explosions, people shot with arrows, and knights speared dead on javelins. In one historical scene, the Titanic crashes and main characters get stranded in the sea. A man on fire screams and jumps into a moat, a puppeteer appears to be shot (comic gunshot sound; bloody patch appears on his shirt), a fighter gets slashed with a spear (blood trickling from the visible wound), characters get tied to a tree and robbed, cannibals prepare to cook and eat the main characters, arms get ripped off during an arm wrestling match and tossed into a pile of dismembered arms (no blood visible), and a character punches a line of people in the face one-by-one. Suicidal ideation is played for gallows humor as an artist cocks a revolver and points it to his own temple before getting interrupted; later, he ties a noose around his neck and is accidentally pushed to his death by another man who doesn't notice. A later battle with the main villain has a more serious tone: Characters get turned into animals such as dogs and pigs; cloaked creatures with horned animal skull heads chase the main leads and shoot fireballs; and a tank shoots heavy artillery. Main characters get locked into a cage, and one eats a rat (biting sounds but no blood visible). A child wakes up in a burning house, his bedroom filled with smoke; firefighters break down the door and save him. His parents touch a magical rock and explode (it isn't portrayed as sad).
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Characters say "hell," "damn," and "shut up." Name-calling includes "silly fool," "freaks," "tatty-faced scumbag," and a character of short stature is called a "little leprechaun." A White cowboy shouts "I guess we'll have a lynchin'" as fellow horse riders circle around a White villain and lasso him with ropes.
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Characters drink alcohol (wine, martinis, champagne) in many scenes, but no one acts drunk. A couple of characters smoke cigars. Main characters inject a giant with sleeping drugs to get out of danger.
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A classical oil painting briefly shows a nude woman, breasts visible. Showgirls wear legless one-piece suits and feathered headdresses. Characters occasionally appear in their underwear (men with bare chests and briefs; women in long nightgowns). Innuendo includes talk of a "personal problem"; a man glances down at his lap and tells a woman it's "much better." A running gag includes a couple that flirts and leans in as if to kiss each other before getting crashed by the main characters who drop out of time portals in the sky.
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The movie encourages reading, imagination, and the appreciation of both factual and mythological aspects of human history. It also subtly warns against materialism by showing greedy characters as deeply unhappy.
Positive Role Models
very little
Kevin is curious and tries to be helpful, but his parents ignore or berate him, preferring to obsess over materialistic things like blenders and gossiping about other people. The "time bandits" who crash into Kevin's life aspire to be "international criminals" who rob people through time.
Diverse Representations
very little
The cast is almost entirely White and male. The film's "time bandits" have leading roles and are played by little people, including prominent actors David Rappaport and Kenny Baker. The time bandits have personalities and identities outside of their short stature, but they do fall into the cliché of appearing in a fantasy setting along the lines of "dwarves" in The Lord of the Rings and Willow. During Mycenaean Greek scenes, Black people are visible but have no lines; the queen wears black braids but is played by a White woman. Black culture is exoticized (masked Black men are accompanied by ominous music, they slice open an animal carcass, which spills out tropical fruit while a monkey roams and screeches in the background). Main characters steal a prosthetic gold hand from a sleeping character. Napoleon Bonaparte is ridiculed as being obsessive about his height, and the English actor playing him uses a French accent that's grossly exaggerated/distorted for comedy.
Parents need to know that Time Bandits is a fantasy comedy directed by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame. Young child Kevin (Craig Warnock) gets a surprise visit from a group of "time bandits," played by actors of short stature including David Rappaport and Kenny Baker, who transport him through history. There's considerable cartoonish violence: Suicidal ideation is played for laughs, an arm gets ripped off during an arm wrestling match, and a character captures a rat and eats it. Perilous scenes show battle explosions, knights speared dead on javelins, the crashing of the Titanic, and people on fire. Main characters are watched and pursued by potentially scary figures, including a floating face and cruel villains. Characters drink alcohol in many scenes (but never appear drunk) and smoke cigars once. Language includes "hell," "damn," and "shut up," plus name-calling ("freaks," "tatty-faced scumbag," "little leprechaun"). There aren't many role models to be found in the film: Kevin's parents ignore or berate him, caring only for materialistic things, while the time bandits he travels with proudly aspire to be "international criminals." But, overall, the movie encourages reading and appreciating history and mythology. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
great fun 'kids movie'. intellectually challenging at points
I think it's a good movie, especially if one understands it. I'm afraid young kids will be lacking in that respect. I don't remember how old I was the first time I saw it, but I was 6 when it came out. I remember thinking it was a really cool movie. There's tons of fun adventure. But some stuff was scary and disturbing. I found the end where the parents explode probably the most disturbing (and confusing) part, particularly how they willfully ignored the warning. I just watched it on Hulu and I still find that bit strange at the least. I'm just now as I write this coming up with a possible reason for it. One is, the director created them as distasteful people and so 'to hell with them!' I still don't like that message. Another may be a warning about ignoring warnings. It's the kind of thing a young kid would do: expressly what you tell them not to. It's one part fun adventure and one part social and religious commentary, though it's not entirely clear what the comment is. I think I would recommend it for adults and for kids (though not too young).
I saw this movie when I was 6 years old. I was imeaditly freaked out!
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When I saw his parents explode after touching the "Evil" I didn't sleep for days. I would not let anyone over 10 see this movie.
What's the Story?
In TIME BANDITS, young Kevin (Craig Warnock) is fascinated by history, but his materialistic parents are too busy planning their dream kitchen to pay attention. When a group of bickering men miraculously appears in Kevin's bedroom, he's in for the history lesson of his life. The time travelers are former employees of the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson) who have stolen his map of time and space and plan to loot history of its greatest treasures. Kevin joins them through a time hole, and is soon rubbing shoulders with such luminaries as Napoleon (Ian Holm), Robin Hood (John Cleese), and Agamemnon (Sean Connery), as well as giants and ogres. The Evil Genius (David Warner), the Supreme Being's nasty rival, watches the group from a bubbling cauldron with an eye on stealing the map for himself so he can destroy the world.
This enjoyable romp appeals to the adventurous child in everyone. Directed by Monty Python's Flying Circus animator Terry Gilliam, Time Bandits takes its young hero on an absurdist tour through various times and places in history. A considerable vein of dark humor and irreverence runs through the movie, giving it a sharp edge not often found in kids' fantasy films.
The unique look and special effects are impressive and imaginative, but the plot and characters can be inconsistent—and the satire is frequently harsh. Seldom will you find suicidal ideation and flippant deaths mined for humor in a family movie these days. But older kids may find such gags hilarious, and the film's virtues easily outweigh its flaws. It's a perfect movie for those who prefer their fantasy with a bit of bite.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the humor in Time Bandits. How would you describe it: dark comedy, satire? Does it have serious messages underneath the jokes? If so, what are the messages?
If you've seen the 2024 TV adaptation, how does this original film compare? What aspects do you prefer in each version of Time Bandits?
If you had the ability to jump through time, which period would you like to visit? What would you do there?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
