Apple TV+ turned the 1981 cult classic movie Time Bandits into a comedic adventure series for all ages starring Lisa Kudrow (from Friends, duh). It premiered Wednesday on the streaming service.
The new Apple TV+ series drew considerable praise from reviewers.
This is not Terry Gilliam’s film
The original Time Bandits thrilled with a fantastical story line and dark humor, as one would expect from director Terry Gilliam, the man who later brought us Brazil. As a reminder, the movie version of Time Bandits ends with young Kevin abandoned by his friends and standing next to his dead parents, facing life utterly alone in the world. Hilarious!
Gilliam is hardly involved in the Apple TV+ series. It’s instead adapted by Taika Waititi (Our Flag Means Death, Jojo Rabbit, Thor: Ragnarok), Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows) and Iain Morris (The Inbetweeners). And Apple emphasizes that this version of Time Bandits is for “viewers of all ages” — not a phrase that can be used about the 1981 film.
A lighter Time Bandits
The new series takes viewers on an unpredictable journey through time and space with a ragtag group of thieves and their newest recruit: an 11-year-old history buff named Kevin. They’ll witness the creation of Stonehenge, see the Trojan Horse in action, escape dinosaurs, experience the Ice Age and the Harlem Renaissance, and much more along the way.
It starts with young Kevin (played by Kal-El Tuck) facing rejection due to his obsession with history. Then Penelope (Lisa Kudrow) shows up and drags him into an adventure through time.
The series is off to a strong start with critics. Time Bandits has a 91% approval rating from the review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.
Watch the first Time Bandits trailer for yourself:
Now on Apple TV+
Time Bandits premiered July 24 on Apple TV+. Two episodes a week will premiere each Wednesday until all ten are available.
Watching this plus many other series or films comes with a subscription to Apple TV+. The service is $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle.
And Apple’s streaming video service also includes much more, of course. For summertime viewing, there’s WondLa, Camp Snoopy and Me, all of which debuted recently.
