Time Bandits age rating: Is the new Apple TV+ fantasy series appropriate for kids?

Time Bandits is about to make its debut on Apple TV+, but is the new sci-fi fantasy comedy appropriate for viewers? Find out here!

Terry Gilliam is well known for his bizarre storytelling style, from his days animating for Monty Python’s Flying Circus to films like 12 Monkeys and Brazil. A Gilliam movie is like no other as even his failures show some amazing originality. He showed it off with 1981’s Time Bandits, which was a sleeper box office hit and has since amassed a massive cult following. 

Over the years, Gilliam has teased a potential sequel but nothing has come of it. Finally, Apple TV+ is about to tackle a series adaptation by likely the only man who could mimic Gilliam’s style, Taika Waititi. The Oscar-winning writer/director/actor is known for his quirky works like Jojo Rabbit, What We Do in the Shadows and invigorated the MCU with Thor: Ragnarok and the sequel Thor: Love and Thunder. 

The series follows the plotline of the movies as young Kevin (Kal-El Tuck) accidentally falls in with a band of thieves led by Lisa Kudrow’s Penelope. The group uses a special map to travel across time and space, getting into crazy adventures, meeting famous figures and robbing them. As a history nerd, Kevin joins their quest which involves a clash with Pure Evil (Jemaine Clement) and Waititi himself appearing as the Supreme Being with the Time Bandits becoming unlikely saviors of the universe.

The show looks to capture the movie’s vibe with offbeat humor, crazy takes on history, some fantastic settings and an abundance of comedy. It looks like a fun show but is it appropriate for younger viewers?

What is the age rating for Time Bandits?

On the Apple TV+ site, the show is rated TV-PG, indicating it is good for all ages. The trailers appear to lean toward it being a light-hearted series and what scares it contains will be mild and fitting for a family show.

This could be a departure from the original film, which could often be quite dark and scary (especially David Warner’s performance as Evil) and a twisted ending. What violence is in the show is more the slapstick variety and only mild cursing, not folks dropping serious swear words. It’s also likely that with a little kid as the character, we don’t get much in the way of sexual situations either. 

Thus, Time Bandits can be watched by younger kids who may get a kick out of its mix of comedy and offbeat sci-fi history for a fantastic adventure.

Time Bandits premieres on Wednesday, July 24, only on Apple TV+.