Terry Gilliam has had a reputation for being a terrific visual filmmaker, no matter what the budget. The man can make $30 million look like twice that, or he can make a $5 million film look like a Hollywood production. The problem is that out of his seven non-Monty Python directorial efforts, only three can be considered box-office successes: 1995's 12 Monkeys, 1991's The Fisher King and this surprise hit from the fall of 1981. Its $40 million gross in America (about $80 million in today's prices) was even more surprising when you consider the film had been a dud during its British release that summer.

There were various reasons the film connected with American critics and moviegoers alike. The anarchic spirit would become a Gilliam trademark. The old-fashioned feel of the story, necessary due to the $5 million budget, helped endear critics to the film.

The story is relatively simple: Kevin (Craig Warnock) lives with his technology-loving parents in a quiet English town. While his folks obsess over the latest toaster or refrigerator, he prefers to read the classic fairy tales and adventure stories. One night while reading a Greek mythology book, a knight on horseback bursts through his closet. The next night, his room is invaded by six pint-sized workers on the run from their boss, the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson).

The reason? They've got a Map of the Universe and are using it to jump through different eras, stealing riches along the way. They meet different historical figures, such as Napoleon (Ian Holm), Robin Hood (John Cleese) and King Agamemnon (Sean Connery). They also raise the ire of an Evil Genius (David Warner) who wants the map for himself. The three elements come together in a final battle with a typical Gilliam twist ending (which I won't spoil here).

Gilliam relished the chance to give the actors playing the title characters the opportunity to step out from underneath the makeup they usually wore. (Kenny Baker is best known for playing R2-D2 in the Star Wars films and four of the five titular Bandits would play Ewoks in Return of the Jedi.) Of the five, David Rappaport is given the most exposition, but the rest of the cast have their moments.

Holm makes for a very funny Napoleon, while Connery musters a strong presence as Agamemnon. Warner, as seems to be his style whenever playing a villain, chews scenery with aplomb. On the other hand, Richardson is delightfully droll as the Big Cheese himself. The film's funniest sequence takes place in Sherwood Forest where Cleese plays Robin Hood as if he wouldn't be out of place on Monty Python's Flying Circus. Lastly, Warnock makes for an appealing and realistic boy, instead of being overly cute and annoying. (Sarah Polley was used to the same effect in Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen a few years later.)

The film is somewhat hampered by its low budget when it comes time for some FX wizardry, though. You can see the dummies whenever the team time-jumps and it's very obviously a David Warner dummy during some parts of the end battle. Still, it's infrequent enough to not take you completely out of the film. After all, this is a story about the power of imagination over technology. And when the script is written by Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin, the verbal wordplay can more than cover the lack of an effects budget.

Time Bandits has had three DVD releases of note: a Criterion Collection release in 1999, a less expensive version by Anchor Bay some months later and a 2004 reissue from the same company. This newest release is worth getting for a couple of reasons. First, on the technical side the film has been given a new 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer and a Dolby Digital 5.1 remix, so it looks and sounds much better than ever. There's also a good documentary highlighting Gilliam's career through the release of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, along with a 2002 half-hour interview with Palin and Gilliam. There’s also the very funny international trailer (with voiceover work by both of the former Pythons), paired with its not-nearly-as-amusing American counterpart.

What’s not here? Criterion’s release had a production scrapbook set to composer Mike Moran's main title and a typically energetic commentary from Gilliam and various cast members. (It's not a total loss - much of Gilliam's comments are repeated in the included interview.) Oddly, Anchor Bay UK put both of these extras on their version, yet the American arm of the company was unable to secure the rights to the commentary. It’s an unfortunate omission, since Gilliam loves to talk about his work and the production process. Despite the absence of those extras, this is still worth an inexpensive ($15-18) pickup for the film's quality and the excellent documentary. Recommended.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12