Reviewer Rating: 3/5.0
3
Episodes 7 and 8 of Time Bandits Season 1 are getting more intense as we approach the final episodes, even though the 50 minutes of Episode 7 are basically crap.
Taika Waititi’s series is essentially a standalone compared to the original, which is maybe something I should stop doing.
Apple TV is most loosely connected to its namesake, so it’s best to view the Apple TV version on its own merits.
This problem always exists with certain remakes and adaptations, which is why the original is almost always considered the better rendition.
It took the Time Bandits a while to find a way halfway through time. Although it’s been a bumpy ride, there’s some semblance of cohesion near the end.
Saffron joins narrative
Saffron is largely a mystery, at least throughout the course of six episodes. We know she’s Kevin’s sister and, like Kevin, is going through a character’s time journey.
However, we know very little about her personality. It’s hard to feel danger or an underlying sense of loss when she encounters Fianna, the eye-laser demon she stole while stalking.
Now, we have two episodes centered around her, and while that gap is finally filled, not much changes.
Wyattiti sticks to the traditional brother-sister role here, with Saffron and Kevin often at odds with each other.
It adds a sense of family to each scene and slightly increases the suspense. It’s a welcome change from the long-lasting and redundant comedy.
Although much of Saffron’s adventures remain a mystery, it’s clear that she is now an experienced time traveler and survivalist, having spent three years during the Ice Age with a family of Neanderthal cave dwellers. Year.
Interesting stuff! Ice Age is the lowest of the best places to get stuck in time. Most kids would have a hard time acting, but Kira Thompson handled it well, dealing with Kevin as if they really were siblings.
Charlene Yi’s departure
Most people watching “Thieves of Time” for the first time are probably curious about the mysterious disappearance of Yi’s character.
A brief encounter with the Supreme suggests that he captured her in a scene where we can see the back of a person, presumably Judy.
Charlene left mid-shoot. For those who don’t know, there were and still are allegations of abuse on set.
Unfortunately, Taika Waititi and the power behind the script didn’t do her character Judy any favors. Not only was her departure sudden, but her name was never mentioned.
At the beginning of episode six, Penelope has a brief moment of self-reflection.
Of course, it’s understandable that leaving suddenly in the middle of a shoot can leave a void that’s hard to fill. But there’s certainly enough creative talent among the show’s producers to avoid disappearing entirely.
Thanks to the Prime for mentioning her status, we can look forward to seeing what happens in the remaining two episodes. Or maybe not.
two pieces of evidence
Traveling through time has consequences, and time bandits are not immune. Widget’s ex-girlfriend, the cute demon Fianna, is now part of the Fianna duo.
On their trail are two Fionas who shine with their superhuman eyes, and to Penelope and the crew, the two Fionas seem more dangerous than pure evil.
“Time Bandits” ends in the 1990s, when Kevin and Saffron’s parents were still children. In fact, Fiona’s appearance and Kevin’s warning changed time enough for both parents to survive Fiona’s initial attack earlier in the season.
Back in the Ice Age, having said goodbye to the Neanderthals, pure evil takes action by possessing a replica sabertooth tiger.
Apparently, pure evil now has two living parents and wants to trade them for the map. Why he doesn’t use a sabertooth tiger to seize the map from a group of extremely ineffective misfits is beyond the scope of the script.
Real stakes with little character development
The good news is that if Kevin and the Time Bandits fail, there will eventually be consequences. The bad news is that no one cares one way or the other. Penelope in episode 8 is exactly the same as Penelope in episode 1.
The same goes for Widget, Bittelig, Alto and Kevin. Saffron is new enough to give it the benefit of the doubt. Penelope did have a brief moment of self-pity in episode six, but that’s all settled now.
Part of the fun is watching characters learn and grow, whether they go from zero to hero or vice versa. Unfortunately, there isn’t much character development in Time Bandits.
It’s the same weird, nonsensical dialogue and witty comebacks we’ve had all season. Sure, some of it is funny, but being funny doesn’t advance the plot or engage the audience.
Kids will undoubtedly love it, but even they will feel a sense of detachment and apathy when the season ends with episode 10.
It’s easy to like Penelope and the crew, especially Widget’s dry dialogue and Bittlig’s overly emotional moments. But it’s like liking that person you met at the convenience store—the one who said something funny to the cashier.
Within a day or two, that person is forgotten, replaced by countless faces that come and go in our lives.
There’s a story in Time Bandits… somewhere
At its core, Time Bandits is a very simple version of the hero’s journey, right down to the catalyzing event and apotheosis.
Taika Waititi skipped many parts of Campbell’s Seventeen Stages along the way, but the core of it is there. Maybe that’s all it takes.
Time Bandits is gearing up for its remaining two episodes, and it feels like a lot has happened before. Of course, the bandits are now experienced, but these events do little to advance the story and merely fill in the blanks.
The Judy and Charlene Yi situation certainly doesn’t help, as it makes the characters feel even more disconnected and uncaring from each other, even though it’s clear they have some caring natures.
As it stands, episodes 7 and 8 are fine, episode 7 is almost unnecessary other than bringing Saffron into the mix.
Unless some drastic changes occur in episodes 9 and 10, Time Bandits will be consigned to history as nothing more than a blip on the Apple TV+ radar. Not a bad show, but nothing to write home about.
