I was hesitant to include this film in my top 100, having not seen it in quite some time. I will say now, that this was really one of the defining films of my childhood. Between the ages of 7 and 10, I must have seen this film well over 30 times. That being said, I was somewhat apprehensive to revisit a piece of cinema so dear to my heart. I was slightly worried that the childhood magic may be lost in what might be dated special effects and a potentially poor movie. Thankfully though, I can say that 'Time Bandits' does indeed hold up and very very well too. Re-watching this film instilled my confidence in Terry Gilliam as…

Is it all ready? Right. Come on then. Back to creation. We mustn't waste any more time. They'll think I've lost control again and put it all down to evolution.
-Supreme Being

I think Terry Gilliam makes films that he wants to see and doesn't give much thought about what mass audiences want to see (with an exception or two). You can count that as both a strength and a flaw in his directing as it doesn't always work out. Of course you'll have some Gilliam supporters that will say I'm wrong, just know that I do think more often then not his vision does work and is quite entertaining. Time Bandits is one such film.

It's a child's fantasy…

Film #6 in The June Challenge

Time Bandits doesn't make sense to me as a children's film. It's incredibly wacky and a lot of fun, but it's so absurdly dark that I can't see too many children enjoying it. That is definitely because of Terry Gilliam's penchant for weird comedy, and it is clear that he wanted to make a fantastical film that didn't solely cater to children.

The film is full of great special effects and make-up, which have not aged a day since the film was released. Some of it looks quite cheesy, but that is part of the charm of the film, with the main characters thrown into bizarre situations and facing encounters with colourful characters. The…

I was hesitant to include this film in my top 100, having not seen it in quite some time. I will say now, that this was really one of the defining films of my childhood. Between the ages of 7 and 10, I must have seen this film well over 30 times. That being said, I was somewhat apprehensive to revisit a piece of cinema so dear to my heart. I was slightly worried that the childhood magic may be lost in what might be dated special effects and a potentially poor movie. Thankfully though, I can say that 'Time Bandits' does indeed hold up and very very well too. Re-watching this film instilled my confidence in Terry Gilliam as…

Film #6 in The June Challenge

Time Bandits doesn't make sense to me as a children's film. It's incredibly wacky and a lot of fun, but it's so absurdly dark that I can't see too many children enjoying it. That is definitely because of Terry Gilliam's penchant for weird comedy, and it is clear that he wanted to make a fantastical film that didn't solely cater to children.

The film is full of great special effects and make-up, which have not aged a day since the film was released. Some of it looks quite cheesy, but that is part of the charm of the film, with the main characters thrown into bizarre situations and facing encounters with colourful characters. The…

Terry Gilliam should donate his brain to science, or at least to an art museum.

He may be the most creative and imaginative person working (intermittently) in film. I don't think he is wired the same as the rest of us. He seems to be able to allow his mind to wander into unknown territories, and create never before seen worlds. And the amazing thing is that there is a consistency to his vision. Even today's more narratively straightforward stories like INCEPTION develop rules, then break them whenever it is inconvenient for the story.

TIME BANDITS is about a group of time traveling 'little people' that jump from one period and location in history to another, stealing everything that they…