Time Bandits Review: Taika Waititi's Apple TV+ Comedy Is Haunted By A More Imaginative Past

Time Bandits is Apple TV+’s updated take on the classic 1981 film by Terry Gilliam, and though there are familiar elements, it doesn’t quite live up to the original. There’s no question that the first Time Bandits needed some revamping, as many aspects don’t hold up when set against the modern cultural context. However, there’s magic missing in the 2024 series, even if the cast and characters of Time Bandits and the series’ many witticisms will appeal to a wide audience. Unfortunately, even its best quips won’t help the series stand the test of time.

Time Bandits isn’t new territory for Taika Waititi, who plays a small role and serves as a writer and creator of the show. It’s hardly a departure for the filmmaker who has made his name on projects with children as the protagonists. In Time Bandits, his comic sensibilities are apparent in every line. However, it’s hard not to long for the film, even though comparing the series to the movie feels like a false dichotomy. Each serves a different purpose and caters to separate audiences, but the ghost of the film can’t help but haunt the 2024 Time Bandits.

Fun Aesthetics & Sweet Characters Save Time Bandits From Mediocrity

Though far from perfect, there are bright spots to be found in the kid-friendly show

Blend a family-friendly version of Cunk on Earth with a slightly less religious Good Omens, and you’ll have found the tone of Time Bandits. Fans of Waititi’s historically inaccurate Our Flag Means Death will also find the themes and structure comparable, if not quite the same. However, all of these shows appeal to a similar audience, and it’s one that Time Bandits knows well. Though the series is meant for children, there’s no question that nostalgic parents could wander into an episode and be immediately charmed by the sensitive and humorous dialogue and hijinks.

Lisa Kudrow and Kal-El Tuck play Penelope and Kevin, the two central characters, and they do their best to anchor the show with an emotionally compelling bond. Kudrow gets to flex her comedic muscles but isn’t afraid to show a little vulnerability as Kevin and the rest of the bandits break down her walls. Kevin, as a character, is difficult to criticize. He’s the stand-in for every child who didn’t fit in growing up. Of all of Time Bandits‘ attempts to tug our heartstrings, it succeeds most when showing Kevin’s loneliness.

However, there is something off about the chemistry between Penelope and Kevin, and the surrogate parent-child relationship is too vital to the series for this not to be an issue. In terms of the visual components, Time Bandits is well aware of its roots but feels no obligation to them. Stylistically, it’s exciting when there are clear homages to 1980s fantasy films, especially in the aesthetic design of Pure Evil, played by a jovial Jemaine Clement, co-creator and writer (alongside Iain Morris). The jaunts to all of history’s greatest hits look well-polished, even if some of the CGI falls flat.

Nothing less could be expected of an Apple TV+ production, and it’s clear that the team wanted to create immersive settings that felt like a real piece of history. History buff or not, the series is impressive to behold, but spectacle isn’t the real reason we tune into a show like Time Bandits. The characters are feats of imagination that only a child could envision, but they feel trapped by the whisper of an adult voice in their ear. Time Bandits fails to let loose and truly enjoy itself.

Juggling Too Many Plotlines Bogs Down Time Bandits’ Story

The intersecting plot threads and storylines don’t quite reach a satisfying convergence

For all its sweetness, Time Bandits is quick to undercut its most emotional moments with a throwaway joke or cutaway to yet another intersecting storyline. Though the story was designed this way, the series juggles too much without giving proper time to any narrative arc beyond the main one. It’s unsurprising that Time Bandits season 2 has already been hinted at, as the series leaves plenty of room for more adventures by the time the ten episodes have wrapped. However, this means season 1 doesn’t provide the payoff we’re looking for.

Perhaps lessons are learned and days are saved, but the personal development and growth feel rushed, and some character nuances are lost in the ensemble format. If Time Bandits can be boiled down to one essential message, we can’t choose our family, but we can build another one. Kevin learns that there’s space in his heart for the bandits and his parents, but his time might be better spent saving the universe rather than dragging his family to Woodhenge. Even a children’s series must be more than its moral lessons, and Time Bandits doesn’t quite hit that mark.

The first two episodes of Time Bandits will premiere on Apple TV+ on July 24, followed by weekly episodes until August 21st.

Eleven-year-old Kevin joins a group of time-traveling thieves on a comedic and perilous adventure. As they navigate through various historical periods, they embark on a mission to save Kevin’s parents and ultimately the world, blending humor with high-stakes drama in this adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s cult classic​.

Pros

• Time Bandits’ story is at its most heartfelt when focusing on Kevin and his feelings
• The series has a fun tone and is very sweet

Cons

• It’s hard to completely buy into Penelope and Kevin’s parent-child relationship
• The series juggles too much without giving proper focus to anything beyond the main story