Time Bandits Review: Gathering Momentum

Critic’s Rating: 3 / 5.0

3

Time Bandits Season 1 Episodes 7 and 8 are gathering steam as we close in on the final episodes, despite Episode 7 being a largely throw-away 50 minutes of fluff.

As a comparison with the original, which is perhaps something I should cease and desist doing, Taika Waititi’s series is essentially a stand-alone.

Having only the loosest association with its namesake, it’s better to view Apple TV’s version on its own merits.

Certain remakes and adaptations will always have this problem, which is why the originals are almost always regarded as the superior rendition.

It took a little while for Time Bandits to find a semi-sort-of pathway through time. Though it’s been a bumpy ride, there is some semblance of cohesion coming together here near the end.

Saffron Joins the Narrative

Saffron is largely an enigma, at least throughout the course of six episodes. We know that she’s Kevin’s sister and is on a character’s journey through time, just like Kevin.

However, we don’t know much else about her character. When she encountered Fianna, the eye-laser demon tracking the Time Bandits, it was difficult to feel a sense of danger or potential loss.

Now, we have two episodes with her taking center stage, and not much has changed, though it’s good to fill in that gap finally.

Wiatiti sticks with the traditional brother and sister roles here, with Saffron and Kevin often at each other’s throats.

It lends a sense of family to each scenario, heightening the suspense a little. It’s a welcome change from the persistent and redundant comedy.

Though most of Saffron’s adventures are a mystery, it’s clear that she’s now an experienced time traveler and survivalist, having spent three years in the Ice Age with a family of Neanderthal cave dwellers.

Fun stuff! The Ice Age is the lowest on the list of desirable places to become trapped in time. Most kids have a tough time with acting, but Kiera Thompson tackles it just fine, playing off Kevin as if they are really siblings.

The Departure of Charlyne Yi

Most of those watching Time Bandits for the first time are probably curious about Yi’s character mysteriously vanishing.

A brief moment with The Supreme Being reveals that he captured her in a scene where we can see the back of a person, presumably Judy.

Charlyne left halfway through filming. For those who aren’t aware of the circumstances, there were and still are accusations of abuse on set.

Unfortunately, Taika Waititi and the powers that be behind the script didn’t do her character Judy any favors. Not only was her departure sudden, but the Time Bandits never so much as mention her name.

There was a brief moment of self-reflection on Penelope’s part at the beginning of Episode 6. But, after that, nothing.

Sure, it’s understandable that a sudden departure in the middle of filming leaves a difficult gap to fill. But surely there is enough creative talent among the showrunners to avoid a complete vanishing act.

Thanks to the Supreme Being mentioning her status, we can expect something to come of it in the remaining two episodes. Or maybe not.

Two Fiannas

Jumping through time has consequences, and the Time Bandits are not immune to them. Widget’s ex-girlfriend, the lovely demon Fianna, is now the Fianna duo.

With two Fiannas on their trail, blazing through everything with their Superman eyes, both Fionnas seem far more dangerous to Penelope and crew than Pure Evil.

The Time Bandits end up in the 1990s while Kevin and Saffron’s parents are still kids. In fact, Fionna’s presence there, along with Kevin’s warnings, alters time just enough that both parents survive Fionna’s initial assault earlier in the season.

Upon returning to the Ice Age to say goodbye to the Neanderthals they already said goodbye to, Pure Evil makes his move by possessing a knock-off sabretooth tiger.

Apparently, Pure Evil is now in possession of the two living parents and wants to exchange them for the map. Why he doesn’t use the sabretooth tiger to take the map from a group of highly inefficient misfits is beyond the script.

Real Stakes with Little Character Development

The good news is that there are finally consequences if Kevin and the Time Bandits fail. The bad news is that no one is likely to care one way or the other. Penelope in Episode 8 is exactly the same as Penelope in Episode 1.

The same is true of Widget, Bittelig, Alto, and Kevin. Saffron is new enough to get the benefit of the doubt. Penelopy did have a brief moment of self-pity in Episode 6, but that’s all said and done now.

Watching a character learn and grow is part of the fun, whether they go from zero to hero or vice versa. Unfortunately, there’s not much character development in Time Bandits.

It’s the same quirky, non-sensical dialogue and witty ripostes we’ve had all season. Some of it is funny, to be sure, but funny doesn’t advance the plot or pull the audience in.

Kids will no doubt love it, but even they will feel a sense of detachment and nonchalance when the season wraps with Episode 10.

It’s easy to like Penelope and crew, especially Widget’s dry dialogue and Bittelig’s overly emotional moments. But it’s akin to liking that person you ran into at the convenience store — the one who said something funny to the cashier.

Within a day or two, that person is long forgotten, replaced by the countless faces that come and go throughout our lives.

There’s a Story in Time Bandits…Somewhere

At its heart, Time Bandits is a very simple version of the hero’s journey, down to the catalyzing event and apotheosis.

Taika Waititi skips many of Campbell’s Seventeen Stages along the way, but the heart of its parts is there. Perhaps that’s all it needs to be.

Time Bandits is gearing up for its remaining two episodes, and it hardly feels like much has come before. Sure, the bandits have plenty of experience now, but those events hardly propelled the story forward, only filling the void.

The Judy situation with Charlyne Yi certainly isn’t helping because it makes the characters feel even more detached and uncaring towards one another, even though it’s clear they have somewhat caring natures.

As it stands, Episodes 7 and 8 are decent, with little need for Episode 7 other than bringing Saffron into the fold.

Unless some huge metamorphosis takes place in Episodes 9 and 10, Time Bandits will go down in history as little more than a blip on Apple TV+’s radar. Not a bad show, but nothing worth writing home about.