'Time Bandits' review: Zany treat for history buffs of all ages

WHAT IT'S ABOUT Terry Gilliam's minor classic "Time Bandits" gets remade into a 10-episode series for Apple TV+ from creators Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi and Iain Morris ("The Inbetweeners").

It is, in many respects, a natural fit. The story of bandits zipping through time on a mission to steal as many artifacts as possible is a perfect match for the comic stylings of New Zealanders Clement and Waititi, collaborators on "What We Do in the Shadows" among a multitude of other credits.

The 1981 movie, which Gilliam directed and also co-wrote with his Monty Python compatriot Michael Palin, helped solidify the filmmaker's characteristic surrealist comic aesthetic. This remake remains true to that general spirit while applying a heap of the classic Clement-Waititi zaniness. 

Their story begins with young Kevin (Kal-El Tuck), a history buff who has trouble fitting in at school and at home, where his parents implore him to stop obsessing over the past and to do "normal" kid things, like immersing himself in his cellphone.

Ah, how wrong they are: A magical portal that flattens the time-space continuum opens one night directly into Kevin's bedroom, in Bingley, England, circa 2024. Pouring out of it: that motley collection of a half-dozen bandits, led by Lisa Kudrow as Penelope.

A viewing of the first two episodes finds the crew careening through history, encountering the ancient Mayans, the construction of Stonehenge, the ice age and more.

MY SAY "Time Bandits" proves to be one of those rare cases where a TV adaptation of a movie makes artistic sense. With the enormous canvas of any conceivable moment in history standing before the filmmakers, there's ample opportunity to pursue entertaining plotlines that have the added benefit of some loose educational value.

That's not to suggest anyone ought to mistake "Time Bandits" for a teaching tool. It skews far closer to the spirit of Monty Python or, say, Mel Brooks, treating each historical period as comic fodder.

There's an extended sequence inside the Trojan Horse, for example, that revolves around a debate among the Trojans over whether to burn it down or allow it into the city, while the Greeks and the bandits nervously await inside. Kevin is greatly let down when he learns the mundane answer to one of civilization's great mysteries, the story of Stonehenge's creation.

Loose threads connect it all, as both the Supreme Being (Waititi) and the villainous Wrongness (Clement) seek the map of magical portals stolen by the bandits and used on their journey.

But the early stages of the series work best thanks to their episodic nature, as our heroes find themselves in one strange and dangerous historical moment after another. The creators enliven the scenes with creative and humorous touches, including rapid-fire dialogue and plenty of sarcasm, as well as a good deal of imagination in bringing the disparate settings to life.

BOTTOM LINE It's an ideal match of creative talent and material, with serious appeal for history buffs of all ages.