Time Bandits (1981) Movie Review

Time Bandits (1981) IMDB

Time Bandits movie poster

Time Bandits is a 1981 film written and directed by Terry Gilliam. Yes, the same Terry Gilliam of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Meaning of Life, Brazil, 12 Monkeys, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This movie would best be described as a time travel fantasy film with a Monty Python feel to it. Very British.

The story begins with an 11 year old boy being visited by 6 time traveling dwarves who bust through the wardrobe in his room. The dwarves are being chased because they have stolen a map from the supreme being that they are using to steal treasures across time. The boy joins them on the adventure that starts with an interesting escape from his room. From here we visit Napoleon (played by Ian Holm), Robin Hood (John Cleese), King Agamemnon (Sean Connery) and the Titanic (played by a different boat). We even get a scene in the middle ages with a Minotaur like creature, but not in a maze.

This is a movie full of imagination, fun storytelling and great costumes. About 80 minutes into the movie we have a maze ! The maze appears during a game show sequence that is a trap Evil has set to steal the map from the dwarves. Evil is our appropriately named bad guy. A lot more crazy things happen as the dwarves, Evil and the supreme being try to acquire the map. The story ages very well and this is a movie that can be re-watched multiple times and enjoyed. I would describe it as British silly.

I give it a 7.4/10.

This was remade in 2024 as a 10 episode series on Appletv+ starring Lisa Kudrow. He has mixed reviews.

And as far as trailers go, this is a really good one IMO. It really gives you an idea of what kind of comedy movie you are getting yourself into !

Ready Player One (2018) Movie Review

Ready Player One (2018) IMDB

Ready Player One (2018) movie poster

Ready Player One is directed by Steven Spielberg based on the best selling book written by Ernest Cline. In the year 2045 things are not good in the real world, so people escape into a virtual reality world called the OASIS. The OASIS has a contest where you must find a series of Easter Eggs hidden in the virtual world to win. To find the Easter Eggs you need to solve puzzles using details about pop culture from the past (our present) and win challenges. The winner of the contest will be given ownership of OASIS. Needless to say this brings out a group of people who want the power and wealth that would entail. Some might even say they are evil….and might try to cheat.

With cameos by and references to over 120 characters this movie is one you can watch again and again and never see all the hidden cameos. I wonder if this could become a bingo game. Certainly people have figured out a way to make it into a drinking game. The action is fun, the special effects are outstanding (and award winning) and the contest puzzles will make you think. This is good Sci-Fi. Tye Sheridan does a nice job in the lead role playing Wade Watts.

Oh, and did you notice the Ready Player One logo is a MAZE ! You start from the initial R and work your way to the center of the O, which includes an Easter egg as the goal !

Ready Player One Logo Maze

Ready Player One Logo Maze

UPDATE: And there is good news if you like this movie. In November 2020 the sequel book was released, Ready Player Two, and quickly became a best seller. Early work has started on a film adaption which Spielberg will be producing and not directing, but things have so far been slow.

I give this movie a 8.5/10.

Check out the trailer. How many characters and pop references can you find ?

Prisoners (2013) Movie Review

Prisoners (2013) IMDB

Prisoners movie poster

Prisoners is about a man (Hugh Jackman) who tries to hunt down his 6 year old daughter and her friend who have been abducted after Thanksgiving dinner. He does this after the police arrest a suspect but release him for lack of evidence. As he gets closer to the suspected abductor he finds a man obsessed with making mazes (I do not support this premise as someone who has a website committed to making mazes). Can he find the children in time to keep them safe ? He takes matters into his own hands to find the children but will he take things too far ?A really tense thriller I highly recommend. Great intensity with a wonderful script and cinematography. It is dark and there are twists and turns.

The film is full of stars beyond Hugh Jackman, with Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Terrence Howard, Maria Bello, and Paul Dano also part of the cast. The director, Denis Villeneuve is so talented that I need to keep updating his list of great films on this blog post (Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Incendies, Sicario, Dune Parts 1 & 2) and this might be his best film !

I give it a 9.5/10.

Check out the trailer:

I found 3 more movie posters for this film, each which features mazes prominently and since this is a website dedicated to mazes I had to show them ! Which do you prefer ? Did any make my list of The 10 best maze movie posters ?

Prisoners movie poster - maze background
Prisoners movie poster - maze background with writing
Prisoners horizontal movie poster

The Maze Runner (2014) Movie Review

The Maze Runner is a 2014 film based on the first book from the 5 part best selling book series by James Dasher. Let’s see what this movie is all about.

The Maze Runner (2014) IMDB

The Maze Runner (2014) movie poster
The Maze Runner (2014) Movie Poster - into the maze

So you wake up with no memory of your past trapped with others just like you in an enclosed environment (Seems a bit Cube ish yes ?). Well, not completely enclosed. They are surrounded by very high stone walls that contain a maze which you need to solve in order to escape. You get the chance to solve the maze each morning when a large door opens but the maze is patrolled by cyborgs. That same door closes each night, and if you get stuck in the maze overnight, you die. You don’t know why you’re there or who put you there. Escaping the maze seems like the right move…run. So that is the premise and set-up for the movie.

Although the reviews of this movie are average, I found the movie to be better than that. It isn’t a movie that is going to win any awards…checks….except a few from the MTV Movie + TV Awards, but the story was interesting and kept my attention. I tend to like sci-fi post-apocalypse movies and this is definitely that.

If there is a weakness of the movie it is the why. As the movie unfolds and the group begins to learn what is happening the why of the maze becomes complex….but a bit meaningless. But that is why we have sequels and additional books, because the maze running story is just getting started.

Now we have time for a sidebar. The movie posters for this movie are excellent, as are the posters for the sequels. As a person who makes maze artwork daily these are really good design. If you want to explore this topic more check out my lost of The 10 Best Maze Themed Movie Posters.

I would rate it a strong 7.4/10 despite a non-ending. You’ll need to keep watching the sequels to get the answers you need.

Check out the trailer: