"One day, a young English boy named Kevin discovers his wardrobe contains a time-hole when a group of dwarves pours out of it. They have been leaping through such portals with the help of a stolen map of the Universe, in the hope of stealing treasure from various peoples and eras. Kevin joins the band and travels to the era of Robin Hood (Cleese), ancient Greek King Agamemnon (Connery), Napleonic times (with Holm as the little emperor), a brief visit to the Titanic, and other locales. Eventually they brush sleeves with Evil (Warner). This early Terry Gilliam work (1981), cowritten with Michael Palin, is a decent piece of entertainment -- not as funny as it might be, but plenty of fun nonetheless. Best exchange: "Look, do you want to be the leader of this gang?" "No, we agreed: no leader!" "Right. So shut up and do as I say!""
David Loftus, Resident Time Bandits Scholar
"Kevin's parents are obsessed with new gadgets and watch tv game shows 24-7, though Kevin prefers books. One day a troop of midgets come pouring out of his bedroom closet and change his life forever. The midgets have stolen a map and are traveling through time stealing treasures (hence the title) and decide to take Kevin along on their exploits. The best part of the movie is the mind-bogglingly idiotic conclusion when Kevin returns home after a dramatic battle with the evil genius and sees that his parents are investigating a myserious burnt chunk of the evil genius that happens to be inside a toaster oven (his parents, remember, are facinated with new-fangled stuff). Kevin shouts out in horror, "Mom, Dad! It's evil! Don't touch it!" Of course, they touch it and there's a huge explosion that leaves poor Kevin a homeless orphan and the end credits start rolling. I though I'd never stop laughing."
sayruh, Resident Scholar
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Overall Review
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie Actual chase scenes or violence - 25% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle - 45% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
**Fantasy or Science Fiction?**
- fantasy story on present day Earth
Time Travel:
- primarily to the past
Technology/$$$$/Info hunt
Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying
- treasure/money
Time Travel Story?
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- a kid
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/medium straight
Body type
- average (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- sad
- introspective
Ethnicity/Nationality
- English/British
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard curly
Body type
- average build (man)
How much in movie?
- 60%
- 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- long-lived adults
Profession/status:
- mastermind
Has special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- can cast all sorts of spells
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 40%
Body type
- average (man)
Ethnicity
- British
Sense of humor?
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physical condition
- average physique
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
Earth setting:
- 20th century (1970's to Present)
- 19th century
- 18th century
- general past
- middle ages
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Misc settings
- fort/castle
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Tone of movie
- funny
Comedy or somewhat funny movie?
Yes
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- English
Subtitles?
- No
Kinds of F/X
- exploding bombs
