Time Bandits

19811981
PGPG
1h 50m

Ian Muir in Time Bandits (1981)

Trailer For Time Bandits

Play trailer3:09

Adventure Comedy Fantasy

A young boy accidentally joins a band of time travelling dwarves, as they jump from era to era looking for treasure to steal.A young boy accidentally joins a band of time travelling dwarves, as they jump from era to era looking for treasure to steal.A young boy accidentally joins a band of time travelling dwarves, as they jump from era to era looking for treasure to steal.

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 8 nominations

Videos2

Time Bandits

Sneak Previews Season 4 Episode 8

Sneak Previews Season 4 Episode 8

Shelley Duvall and Michael Palin in Time Bandits (1981)

Katherine Helmond and Peter Vaughan in Time Bandits (1981)

Malcolm Dixon in Time Bandits (1981)

Mike Edmonds in Time Bandits (1981)

Tiny Ross in Time Bandits (1981)

Jack Purvis in Time Bandits (1981)

David Warner in Time Bandits (1981)

Time Bandits (1981)

Time Bandits (1981)

Ian Muir in Time Bandits (1981)

Ian Muir in Time Bandits (1981)

Ian Muir in Time Bandits (1981)

Intrigued by history but neglected by his parents, Kevin, an eleven-year-old schoolboy, gets the chance to make his dream come true when a band of six time-travelling dwarfs appears out of thin air in his bedroom. Having stolen the Supreme Being's one-of-a-kind map of time and space, the audacious time-bandits whisk Kevin off on an exciting journey to the depths of history, skipping from one era to another. Now, to further complicate matters, the dangerous arch-rival known as the Evil Genius is hot on their trail, bent on getting his hands on the precious map. But, who would have thought that Kevin's seemingly unexceptional room was the entrance to a mysterious wormhole and the portal to a marvellous world of adventure? —Nick Riganas

time travel dwarf napoleon alternate dimension napoleon bonaparte character 99 more

Taglines
- All the dreams you've ever had and not just the good ones
Genres
Certificate
- PG
Parents guide

Trivia
In the original script, King Agamemnon was introduced as: "The warrior took off his helmet, revealing someone that looks exactly like Sean Connery, or an actor of equal but cheaper stature." To writer, producer, and director Terry Gilliam's surprise, the script ended up in Connery's hands. He expressed interest in the part, and his agent approached them for the role.

Goofs
Numerous inaccuracies in the "historical" scenes. The film means to depict history as visualized by a well-read 11-year-old, not a formally trained historian. This is consistent with the theme of whimsical, casual time travel wherein history is deliberately contaminated.

Quotes
Evil: God isn't interested in technology. He cares nothing for the microchip or the silicon revolution. Look how he spends his time, forty-three species of parrots! Nipples for men!
Robert: Slugs.
Evil: Slugs! HE created slugs! They can't hear. They can't speak. They can't operate machinery. Are we not in the hands of a lunatic?

Crazy credits
At the end of the credits the scene where the Bandits have their photo taken is replayed.

Alternate versions
At least one version shown on US television cut the sequence of the knight bursting out of Kevin's closet and much of what came after that (Kevin's Dad telling him to keep the noise down, breakfast the following morning, etc.) This truncated version goes right from Kevin getting into bed to the Time Bandits emerging from the closet, but retains the rattling closet doors that announced the knight's arrival.

Connections
Edited from A Night to Remember (1958)

Soundtracks
Me And My Shadow
Arranged by John Du Prez
Composed by Billy Rose (as Rose), Al Jolson (as Jolson), and Dave Dreyer (as Dreyer)
Published by Francis Day & Hunter
Performed by David Rappaport, Kenny Baker, Malcolm Dixon, Mike Edmonds, Jack Purvis, and Tiny Ross

Top review

7/10

An odd little trip, fueled by wit and imagination

Even though the movie is bookended by chaos, and fueled by a sort of demented Terry Gilliam charm (not to mention the dark-but-funny violence) "Time Bandits" is really a kid's movie. And that's what I love about it: it's just a young boy stealing away on an adventure from his mundane existence. Add to that the trappings of a magical cosmic map, the gallop through the Napoleonic Wars, Ancient Greece and Medieval England, and a cadre of greedy dwarfs and it's a lot of fun. Even with that cast of familiar faces, David Warner handily steals the movie as Evil (like Sark from "TRON", only having more fun with it). And I love that the Supreme Being turns out to be a cheeky old British guy.

It also ends with some sort of statement about modern technology, but that's just a last-minute zinger. What this really proves is that there's fun to be had in cult movies, and Sean Connery is awesome.

7/10

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Mr-Fusion
Nov 30, 2015

Release date
- November 6, 1981 (United States)
Country of origin
- United Kingdom
Official site
- HandMade Films (United Kingdom)
Language
- English
Also known as
- Razbojniki za vse čase
Filming locations
- Raglan Castle, Raglan, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK
Production company
- HandMade Films
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $5,000,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $42,365,581
Opening weekend US & Canada
- $6,507,356
- Nov 8, 1981
Gross worldwide
- $42,368,025

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
1 hour 50 minutes
Color
- Color
Sound mix
- Dolby Stereo
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

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Ian Muir in Time Bandits (1981)

Top Gap

By what name was Time Bandits (1981) officially released in India in English?

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