Analysis
Symbols and Tropes
Hero's Journey
Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or...
Setting
The UniverseThe only thing consistent about the setting is its inconsistency: we go from 1980s suburban England to Italy at the time of the Napoleonic conquest to Robin Hood-era England to ancient...
Point of View
Third-Person Limited/OmniscientTechnically speaking, the film uses the third-person omniscient technique—the fast-track way of delivering information quickly and easily. If you don't have a speci...
Genre
Fantasy, Fairy Tale, ComedyIf Time Bandits fits into any specific category, it's fantasy: the map is essentially magic; monsters and giants are actual things; mythic figures like Agamemnon are pres...
What's Up With the Title?
There's not a whole lot to say about the title, folks. The term "time bandits" describes the dwarves and what they do—they travel through time to rob people. And while there's a lot more going on...
What's Up With the Ending?
We're pretty fond of the ending to this one: it's not quite a Twilight Zone twist, but it's definitely the kind of ending that leaves you with some interesting questions instead of wrapping everyth...
Shock Rating
PGThis is a very scary movie at some points: the tagline on the poster says it's "all the dreams you've ever had, and not just the good ones," which suggests we're in for a freaky-deaky ride every...