DVDs in Review
Time Bandits

Title: Time Bandits (1980)
Release date: October 5 2009
Certificate: PG
Format: Reviewed on DVD, available on Blu-ray
DVD RRP: £15.99
Rating: 4/5
Issued once again on DVD to coincide with the eventual cinema release of Heath Ledger's last performance in the much beleaguered 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus', director Terry Gilliam's fantasy classic still has plenty to offer even nearly 30 years on.
While nowhere near as fantastic as his own 'Brazil' or 'Twelve Monkeys', this ranks as one of his best forays into fantasy.
It follows a group of dwarves who have stolen a map belonging to The Supreme Being (aka God) which details all of the time holes in the fabric of the universe that enable people time travel should they be in the right place at the right time.

The gang use the map to hunt for treasure, loot it and move on, which pits them against some very interesting historical characters, all of which are played unforgettably by brilliant actors - for example John Cleese plays a polite Robin Hood and Ian Holm goes for a frantic, size-obsessed Napoleon.
The sheer amount of detail and visual wit which Gilliam brings to 'Time Bandits' is extraordinary even if the dramatic arcs are sometimes not bending as much as they should. Our reference point is a young boy who is thrust into this fantasy world - which makes this the perfect escapist comedy for a child to watch.

An adult may find 'Time Bandits' as an actual story to be lacking and only amusingly episodic, but to watch and behold as a cinematic experience, few live-action films come close.
To bear in mind that this was before CGI made things easy to gloss around, 'Time Bandits' is a revelation of artistic design. It looks as though no compromises have been made.

This DVD from Optimum contains a new, exclusive interview with Gilliam, a trailer and a scrapbook. While it isn't a Monty Python film, it's another great chance to see Gilliam, Cleese and Palin offer something both magical, absurd and truly original.
Search the web
Entertainment News
- Whitney dies aged 48
- Star exits Dancing on Ice
- Adele sweeps Grammys
- Cheryl 'sues Now magazine'
- Watts to play Diana
- Cowell's looking good
- House 'to end this year'
- Corrie: Spoiler Alert!
- Jubilee concert latest
- Denise confirms split
- 'She's a little too fat'
- Star to join BGT
- Latest star leaves DOI
- Tulisa signs book deal
- Katie's 'nightmare life'?
- Evans' ratings triumph
- Star's return to 'Enders
- Adele's live comeback
- 'It's all in your head'
- X Factor's shake-up
- Downton's new face
- Star exits Dancing on Ice
- SAG awards 2012
- Python stars to reunite
- Arlene's Strictly return?
- Styles confirms split
- Amanda's baby joy
- Two housemates evicted
- 'The rumours are false'
- Demi Moore hospitalised
- DOI twist revealed
- Chaos in Big Brother house
- Latest star leaves DOI
- Heidi Klum and Seal split
- Halle's stalker jailed
- Wahlberg apologises
- 'I had to cover my eyes'
- Star leaves CBB house
- Beyoncé interview 'fake'
- Corrie 'slap' complaints
- Cheryl and Ashley: round two
- Radcliffe defends Del Rey
- Musical bosses sue director
- BAFTA nominations out
- Weller's baby joy
- Adele's new man
- Brits triumph at Globes
- Russell lands in L.A.
- Celebrity Big Brother latest
- People's Choice Awards 2012
- TV pair's escort past
- CBB: First star evicted
- Jay-Z's tribute to Blue
- Cher Lloyd 'engaged'
- New faces join TOWIE
- J-Olly unlucky in love
- Christine is 'bland and rigid'
- TOWIE stars quit
- Sugababe reunion denied
- First star leaves DOI
- Big Brother latest
- Beyoncé's baby joy
- TV chef arrested
- Gaga album news
- CBB stars enter the house
- Chesney out, Chico in
- Rihanna back with Brown?
- Downton 'most watched'
- More celebrity splits
- Sinead's 16-day marriage
- Dancing on Ice latest
- Alesha quits Strictly
- Holly gets engaged
- Star bags recording contract
- Editor resigns over slur
- Jordan and Peter reunion?
- Stars quit E4 show
- Jon Bon Jovi 'not dead'
- Strictly winner revealed
- Cher Lloyd's new deal
- Doctor Who stars to leave
- Savile leaves £5m in will
- Selena Gomez 'in danger'
- 'The masks were stupid'
- New Foo Fighters material
- Peaches' extreme diet
- Director defends Clarkson
- TV star arrested
- Cheryl's new man?
- Sarah speaks out
- Star 'working in hair salon'
- British Comedy Awards
- Young Apprentice final
- Blur to get BRIT honour
- Amy tops chart
- X Factor winners
- Peaches' secret engagement
- Strictly latest
- The Voice latest
- O'Grady quits show



Friends with Benefits
The Devil's Double
Colombiana
Bridesmaids
Water for Elephants
The Veteran
Black Swan
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
I Spit On Your Grave (aka Day of the Woman)
The Ghost (Blu-ray)