Apple TV Plus' huge new fantasy TV reboot arrives - and the reviews are in

Apple TV has made Terry Gilliam’s cult classic film Time Bandits into a TV series. But is it a hit or a miss?

There seems to be quite a North Atlantic divide over this one. Critics in the UK generally speak highly of the adaptation, which sees Flight of the Conchords’s Jermaine Clement, Taika Waititi and The Inbetweeers writer Iain Morris at the helm.

Reviewers in the US are more mixed, less persuaded this is a suitable follow-up to the relentlessly charming 1981 original.

Let’s take a closer look at those reviews, starting off with the more positive ones from the UK.

The Guardian is a bit of an outlier, and gave Time Bandits a full 5-star review: “Gilliam was not involved in the production, but he will surely be pleased to see his legacy so beautifully preserved, in all its daftness and with all its wit.”

The Telegraph called Time Bandits “Horrible Histories meets Bill & Ted in superb family-friendly remake,” in its 4-star review.

The Evening Standard also gave the show a 4-star review, and makes it sound the perfect fodder for a school summer holiday watch.

“You hope Time Bandits does find a way to reach families, for it’s a highly enjoyable solution to summer holiday boredom,” reads the review.

The Daily Beast was much less keen on the show, calling it “wildly offensive and unfunny.” Its review also noted “the closer it draws to its protracted conclusion, the more tedious the show becomes.”

Rolling Stone wasn’t too keen either, saying “it’s a lesser piece of work from its creators, having the rough comic shape of their more famous material, but not being distinctive, funny, or emotionally resonant enough to stick.”

So do you have more of a UK or US sensibility when it comes to streaming TV shows?

We also have to wonder whether some of the negative reaction is linked to a souring in some quarters to Taika Waititi’s schtick.

There are 10 episodes in Apple TV+’s Time Bandits, and as they are dropping in pairs up into late August. However, reviewers appear to have had access to the entire run.

The show's cast is dominated by a bunch of kids. But it does also star Lisa Kudrow as Penelope, the leader of the Time Bandits.

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