Product Details

• Actors: John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm
• Format: Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Criterion
• DVD Release Date: March 30, 1999
• Run Time: 110 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (223 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305283699
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,429 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Time Bandits (The Criterion Collection)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Additional features

Though there are 1.33:1 versions available, this director approved Criterion DVD beautifully presents Time Bandits in the film's intended 1:85:1 theatrical ratio. Time Bandits was originally shot full screen (aspect ratio 1.33:1) with the intention of it being cropped to fit a widescreen format. Though non-anamorphic, Time Bandits looks very crisp with well-balanced colors and nice contrasts. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround audio sounds very acceptable with no obvious flaws. With regards to extras, there is a "hands-off" Time Bandits scrapbook that is fairly interesting. But what really sets this DVD apart is the stellar audio commentary by director Terry Gilliam, cowriter/actor Michael Palin, and actors John Cleese, David Warner, and Craig Warnock ("Kevin"). Gilliam and Warnock provide most of the commentary providing interesting anecdotes and amusing tales of behind-the-scenes shenanigans. These detailed tidbits of information are a "must have" for fans. --Rob Bracco

Product Description

In Terry Gilliam's fantastic voyage through time and space, a young boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) escapes his gadget-obsessed parents to join a band of time-traveling dwarves. Armed with a map stolen from the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), they plunder treasure from Napoleon (Ian Holm) and Agamemnon (Sean Connery)-but the Evil Genius (David Warner) is watching their every move! Featuring a darkly playful script by Gilliam and costar Michael Palin, Time Bandits is all at once giddy fairy tale, revisionist history lesson, and satire on technology gone awry.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

317 of 354 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great new transfer with nice extras makes this worthwhile (Review for DVD NOT Blu-ray), February 8, 2004

By 

WTDK "If at first the idea is not absurd, the... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Time Bandits (Two-Disc Special Edition) (DVD)

PLEASE NOTE: THIS REVIEW WAS WRITTEN FOR THE TWO DVD DISC EDITION OF "TIME BANDITS" PUT OUT BY ANCHOR BAY.

First, I have to note that most of these reviews are for the somewhat disappointing Criterion Edition released in 1999. The version I'll be reviewing is the much improved Divimax (high definition digital transfer)from Anchor Bay. The two DVD edition of Time Bandits from Anchor Bay has isn't perfect but it's a stark improvement on the previous no frills version they issued in 1999 and the Criterion Edition from the same time frame.

The high definition transfer and the fact that the film has been enhanced for 16x9 televisions are definite improvements on the previous edition. The picture is sharper although I did note some minor edge enhancement and digital compression issues. On the whole, though, the picture looks marvelous. The first disc features only the film and it doesn't have the great audio commentary compilation by Gilliam, Michael Palin, David Warner, John Cleese and Craig Warnock. That's a pity because that would have made this the ultimate edition of the film.

Now the major complaint from some folks regarding the image size. Gilliam shot Time Bandits to be shown theatrically in a 1.85:1 ratio. Time Bandits was probably shot full screen (like Kubrick's films so that they wouldn't be badly "cropped" when released). More than likely Gilliam matted the image AFTER the film was shot. The widescreen image IS the way Gilliam intended the film to be seen).

The worst looking DVD was the one put out by the highly regarded Criterion Company. It featured interlace problems, an unstable picture (perhaps due to a flaw during the telecine transfer)and sound that sound left much to be desired. The aspect ratio (the dimension of the width and heighth of the film on screen)is correct here and the beautifully detailed transfer is so sharp that, on occasion, you can even see the limitations (there's a hint of wires in some scenes)of Terry Gilliam's optical effects.

NOTE UPDATE 9/28/10: THE BLU-RAY EDITION PUT OUT BY ANCHOR BAY HAS MANY PROBLEMS. I MENTION THIS HERE BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN GROUPED IN WITH THE BLU-RAY REVIEW AS WELL. THE IMAGE QUALITY ISN'T ALL THAT GREAT AND HAS INTERLACE PROBLEMS AND WAS TRANSFERRED AT 1080I NOT 1080P WHICH MEANS THERE IS A REDUCTION IN IMAGE QUALTIY. WE ONLY GET AN 18 MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH GILLIAM ALONG WITH THE TRAILER FOR THE FILM NOTHING ELSE FROM THE 2 DISC EDITION FROM 2004. I WOULD WAIT FOR A BETTER BLU-RAY TRANSFER FOR THE FILM. GIVEN THE FILM STOCK THAT "TIME BANDITS" WAS SHOT WITH, THE AGE OF THE FILM, ETC. YOU MAY NOT SEE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT IN THE BLU-RAY EDITION OF THE FILM (QUITE HONESTLY IT DEPENDS ON YOUR MONITOR, SIZE, ETC.).

THE REGION "B" BLU-RAY ISN'T A HUGE IMPROVEMENT OVER THE U.S. RELEASE.

The soundtrack has been remixed for the Dolby Digital EX track although I much preferred the more natural sounding 5.1 mix. Since the original source material was designed for stereo and there were some recording limitations at the time the film was made, the tinny sound is still a bit of a problem. That's not a problem that can be easily solved unfortunately. Still, Anchor Bay does the best they can with the materials at hand.

The second disc contains all the extras. The feaurettes include the marvelous The Directors: The films of Terry Gilliam with interviews featuring Gilliam, Shelly Duvall, Brad Pitt, Amanda Plummer, Mercedes Ruehl, Madeleine Stowe and David Warner. There's also an interview with Gilliam and Palin as well as the original theatrical trailers for the film. Some of these features duplicate comments heard on the commentary track for the film from Criterion.


UPDATE: 9/28/10-THE BLU-RAY EDITION HAS NO SECOND DISC. IT DOES FEATURE AN ENTERTAINING 18 MINUTE INTERVIEW WITH GILLIAM AND THE TRAILER.

There's also a Terry Gilliam bio and, most importantly, a DVD-Rom version of the original screenplay. Both these features are no where else to be found. Anchor Bay includes a fold out Map of the Universe which also has a background on the film production.

UPDATE 9/28/10: THE SCREENPLAY AND THE FOLD OUT MAP ARE NOT INCLUDED WITH THE BLU-RAY.

ADVICE FOR THE BLU-RAY: WAIT UNTIL ANCHOR BAY DOES A DECENT JOB OR THERE IS A RESTORAGE FOR THIS FINE FILM FOR BLU-RAY.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Children's Movie, August 26, 2004

By 

Tootie The Cat "Tootie The Cat" (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Time Bandits (Two-Disc Special Edition) (DVD)

I have very fond memories of this film; it came out when I was about 12 years old. I grew up in a very small town in Kentucky, and we had one movie theater, which (for financial reasons I assume) would usually play one second-run film for several weeks at a time.

I loved this movie the first time I saw it. I rode my bicycle to the theater several times to watch this film (a child's matinee price was only $2.00). I must have seen it six times on the screen.

And as I got older, I began to see so much more about this film. Imagine.... a children's film that approaches such existential topics as the nature of God and the existence of evil. Really, really, magical.

49 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why don't they make fairy tales like this anymore?, October 26, 1999

By 

Paul MacKinnon (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Time Bandits (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)

Like the Princess Bride (and perhaps as a precursor to the "Scream"/horror phenomenon), Time Bandits is an honest homage to its genre, while at the same time being very aware of itself. This film is LOADED with imagination, magic, special effects, and great character vignettes. And it's also a great history lesson.

Despite the fact that it's a Gilliam/Palin collaboration, it's not Monty Python (with the possible exception of the Robin Hood bit - worth the price of the film alone), but once you get past the expectation that it will be side-splittingly funny, you can easily get carried away with this tale.

If you get the Criterion DVD do what I did and devote an entire weekend to it: Watch the film, then listen to the commentary, which will make you want to watch the film again.

Take heed though of the quality warnings: I thought the picture was wonderful (as every other video version around seems to be in rough shape), but the sound is lacking in parts. Those downfalls and the overblown ending climax (I know it's an epic battle of good vs. evil, but it's still too long!) are what cost this film all 5 stars.