Time Bandits | 4K UHD+Blu-ray

Gilliam’s early transition projects away from Monty Python looked to continue more of the fantasy tone in which the troupe’s films had been steeped. Historic tales of might, magic, and silliness. Of Gilliam’s fantasy works, Time Bandits stands as his most complete and well realized work.

Where the Baron Munchausen sprawls or Jabberwocky misses in tone and effects, Time Bandits is a precise delivery of Gilliam’s vision. Helped along by terrific performances from Sean Connery, John Cleese, Ian Holm, and David Warner.

It’s a strange, surreal, and at times terribly downbeat odyssey through western history from a child’s eye view. Gilliam’s trademark busy sets and nihilistic philosophical bent give the film a rich-lived in feeling, while also stripping any pretense of wonder away from the ideas of time travel and historical fiction. Not the director’s first or last foray into fantasy worldbuilding, but perhaps his best.

Special Features (via criterion.com)

• New 4K restoration, supervised by director Terry Gilliam, with uncompressed stereo soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray of the film with special features
• Audio commentary featuring Gilliam, cowriter-actor Michael Palin, and actors John Cleese, David Warner, and Craig Warnock
• Program on the creation of the film’s various historical periods and fantasy worlds, narrated by film writer David Morgan and featuring production designer Milly Burns and costume designer James Acheson
• Conversation between Gilliam and film scholar Peter von Bagh, recorded at the 1998 Midnight Sun Film Festival
• Appearance by actor Shelley Duvall on Tom Snyder’s Tomorrow show from 1981
• Gallery of rare photographs from the set
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• PLUS: An essay by critic David Sterritt