11-year-old Kevin (Kal-El Tuck), a history buff, is a loner. At school, he’s the last one picked for their sports team. At home, his parents and younger sister Saffron (Kiera Thompson) mock him for being so nerdy and a chatterbox. One night, his wardrobe opens up a portal, but this isn’t Narnia calling. No, no. Instead, a motley crew of time-traveling thieves who don’t do anything called the Time Bandits — Penelope (Lisa Kudrow), Alto (Tadhg Murphy), Widgit (Roger Jean Nsengiyumva), Bittelig (Rune Temte), Judy (Charlyne Yi) — arrive in his bedroom. Instantly, he’s amazed and seizes the opportunity to join them in their history trotting quest — to Penelope’s dismay.
When Kevin eventually joins the bandits, his entire home life is put in danger. His parents are turned into coal by a demonic overlord named Pure Evil (Clement) and his sister eventually goes on her own trek to find Kevin.
“Time Bandits” evokes a strong resemblance to a classic Jay Ward romp. I’m talking about the “Peabody and Sherman” segments of the “Rocky & Bullwinkle” show. Much like Wards’ sci-fi riff, Bandit gets to have its cake and eat it too by educating kids about different times in history and poking fun at the people from each time with lighthearted charm and clever wit. Much of “Time Bandits” thrives due to the distinctive comedic character interactions between the bandits and the episodic adventures they embark on throughout time. Lisa Kudrow is a delight as a lazy, moralless time pirate and her dynamic with charming newcomer Kal-El Tuck inspires plenty of laughs.
There’s a lot of fun to be had with the downright animated silliness that comes from the humor, whether it’s from strong wordplay, hilarious misunderstandings, or whimsical over-the-top performances from its lively group. With every historical period they travel to, from Medieval times to 1929 Harlem during the prohibition era, fans of other Waititi-related work will be enthused to see his veterans pop up in several eras, such as Con O’Neill from “Our Flag Means Death” as a sheriff of Nottingham. Every Bandit has a fun set of gags, with the standout being Tadhg Murphy’s Alto, an aspiring actor who gets into mayhem at each destination.