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Time Bandits
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Image Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (30th October 2010). |
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The Film
 It’s a valid statement to say that children’s films tend to have a very specific period of time in which someone needs to see them. Once you pass a certain age, they no longer have the ability to hold that special, nostalgic place in your heart that will allow you to forever view them through rose-colored glasses. As an example, I don’t understand how anyone could not love “The Goonies” (1985), yet I have friends who are around a decade older than me who think it’s one of the worst films they’ve ever laid eyes upon. Now, I definitely wouldn’t go that far when discussing “Time Bandits” (1981), but I can also say with confidence that I would have loved this film infinitely more had I seen in when I was under the age of twelve. Everything about it is a children’s movie: the opening scenes featuring overbearing parents, the child protagonist, the unbridled sense of adventure and, most especially, the quick pacing of the picture. In fact, Terry Gilliam even purposely shot the film using low camera angels in order to put viewers squarely in the perspective of our pint-sized heroes. But as an adult, I found the film to be less enjoyable than I had hoped simply because it doesn’t feature a mature storyline. Every time I found myself getting invested in the latest period our time travelers entered, they were out of it again. I know this works wonders for children, thanks to their low attention spans, but as someone older I had hoped the film would have more of a linear plot. Of course, since this was my first time seeing the film, and I knew virtually nothing about it beforehand (including that it was a kids movie), I should cut it a little slack. Thankfully, I’m a big enough fan of Gilliam’s work that, shortcomings aside, it was still a bit of a mind-bender with plenty of the aesthetics and effects that he’s been known to employ throughout his career. Kevin (Craig Warnock) is a bored, neglected 11-year-old boy whose parents have more interest in their bleeding-edge technological gadgets than they do in spending time with him. Without an outlet for his creativity, Kevin spends his nights reading in bed and having fantastic dreams. One night, a group of dwarves burst through his closet, scaring him half to death. The group tells him that they have stolen a map from The Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), one which points out all of the holes hidden among the fabric of the universe, allowing them to jump to any period in time they wish in order to steal vast amounts of riches. Kevin goes along with them, and they soon wind up jumping through time visiting such famous faces as Napoleon Bonaparte (Ian Holm), Robin Hood (John Cleese) and King Agamemnon (Sean Connery). But they have to be careful because Evil Genius (David Warner) wants possession of the map as well, and he’ll stop at nothing to wipe all of them out in order to have control of the universe. I was initially intrigued by the nature of the film’s plot since it’s an original, highly imaginative idea having a young boy accompany a roving band of dwarves through time in an effort to rip off some of history’s most famous names. My chief complaint is that they burn through them so quickly. I would have much rather seen them spending additional time with King Agamemnon than end up on the bridge of a ship owned by an ogre named Winston (Peter Vaughan). I get that Gilliam wanted to keep the pacing brisk so that children would be constantly enthralled by whatever new world they were entering next, but some of the characters prove to be far more interesting than others, so the film can often grind to a halt when they jump through time. And don’t even get me started on the fact that Shelley Duvall is one of the main supporting players. Her roles are, thankfully, minimal, but anyone who has seen “The Shining” (1980) should understand why I wish a pox upon her any time I see that face. At least her cameos are aided by another supporting turn from co-writer Michael Palin, who has the ability to turn attention over to himself and off of her skeletal visage. A chief component of any Terry Gilliam film is undoubtedly his special effects and production aesthetics which are unique and endemic to his entire canon. I think it’s a high honor for a director to be able to achieve such a specific look to his films that even a single frame can often be enough to know whose film you’re watching. All of this comes from Gilliam’s early days with the Monty Python troupe, where he was the chief animator of their sketches and films, so it should come as little surprise that he carried much of that over into his non-Python theatrical features. His films always feel so dystopic and worn; his sets often appear full of grime and grit, with an emphasis on dark, steely colors. I loved what he did with Evil’s lair, which is full of the kinds of bizarre curiosities that were abound in another of his ravaged-wasteland films, “12 Monkeys” (1995). Gilliam has always had a difficult time getting his films made, especially more so in recent years, but when he does succeed in getting one of the ground it usually ends up being something bold and fresh, nothing that major studios would want to touch with a ten-foot pole. He’s the kind of visionary director whose films will stand the test of time because they don’t adhere to the rules, even when he’s making something as “innocent” as a children’s film.
Video
This might be the debut of “Time Bandits” on Blu-ray (here in the States, at least), but don’t get too excited. Image Entertainment has lowered the high-definition bar and given the film a 1080i AVC MPEG-4 encoded image that looks…well, pathetic, really. There is considerable print damage throughout the film, with flecks and white specks darting across the screen more often that our intrepid space pirates. I’m sure that the level of detail on display here far outdoes anything that previous DVD editions have featured, but many shots are soft and dull, and they lack sharp, defined edges. I was surprised that black levels looked as good as they did, though there are still many examples of crushing and macroblocking evident in the background of the film. If the film had been presented in 1080p 24/fps on a 50GB disc, these issues might not have been as severe, but there’s simply no excuse I can think of to give this film such a paltry image. Colors, while accurately represented, don’t pop off the screen as they should, leaving the image with a flat, dull presentation that does little to offer much of an upgrade to fans.
Audio
At least the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track mixed at 48kHz/24-bit isn’t too shabby. The track makes great use of the available channels, resulting in a soundscape that does well to encompass the viewers in whichever time period they happen to be currently visiting. Surrounds are filled with the sounds of the high seas, or a rowdy group of merry men of the forest, or the demonic beasts which inhabit the lair of Evil. There isn’t much for the LFE track, though. There’s little bass usage, so don’t expect too much to some out of the low end of things. But the fact that there is a reasonable level of dimensionality for such an older film shows that Image put forth some effort in making sure it sounded good. Even though the print might be in bad shape, the dialogue track is free of hisses, pops and cracks, offering up a perfectly acceptable auditory experience. There is also an English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound track, as well as a French Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track, included. There are no subtitles available.
Extras
Maybe the film’s titular minions have plundered Image’s coffers because all we get on this Blu-ray is an interview featurette with director Terry Gilliam and the film’s theatrical trailer, both of which are presented in underwhelming standard-definition. “Terry Gilliam Interview” (480p) featurette runs for 18 minutes and 12 seconds. The legendary auteur sits down to discuss how the project of “Time Bandits” came together, the writing process, some of the casting and the film’s special effects work. He doesn’t have enough time to expand upon many of his answers, but the responses he does provide offer a glimpse into the creative process behind such a fantastical film. The film’s theatrical trailer (480p) runs for 3 minutes and 9 seconds.
Packaging
The single disc comes housed in a standard keep case. Nothing fancy here, but at least it features the original poster art on the cover.
Overall
If you saw this film as a child, then this should be a no-brainer purchase even with the obvious downsides to the picture quality and lack of bonus features. Fans of Gilliam will likely enjoy the film, as I did, even if you weren’t previously familiar with it. I would have loved if they included an audio commentary track or some other worthwhile features, but the interview that is there offers up some decent information on the film’s production. It’s a no-frills affair, but for the right price this is a disc that’s worth picking up.
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