Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

Former animator Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Batman, Mars Attacks!) made his feature directorial debut with this delightful comedy, coscripted by the late Phil Hartman (who also appears briefly as a reporter). Wisely, they keep the story simple so as to concentrate on the characters: Pee-wee's most prized possession, his shiny new bicycle, is stolen, and he sets off on an obsessive cross-country journey, determined to recover it. Pee-wee's awkward and childish attempts to be cool and mature ("I meant to do that!!") are hysterical, as when he tells his girlfriend (Elizabeth Daly): "There's things about me you don't know, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand.... I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel." Look for Saturday Night Live vet Jan Hooks in a hilarious bit as a tour guide at the Alamo. And beware of Large Marge! --Jim Emerson Amazon.com

Entertaining

This movie is sooo entertaining. It's worth having it in a movie collection. My kid's like it!! July 17, 2008

Fantastico

I have yet to be disappointed by a Tim Burton film. I was delighted when I saw this film in theatres 20 years ago. To have my own copy to watch again and again has allowed me into the intimate details of this truly FANTASTIC tale. I highly recommend listening to the movie commentary provided by Paul Reubens and Tim Burton....It is amazingly insightful and entertaining.... April 29, 2008

classic stuff

This is probably one of the most famous comedy movies during a time when I was growing up. We all knew and loved Pee-wee Herman, and this movie in particular is one of the reasons we were such big fans. While the success of his TV show was pretty amazing as well, this movie is constantly shown on TV stations and for good reason- it's a classic. It's funny, the character of Pee-wee is memorable, and it's just an all around great movie for kids and adults alike. April 5, 2008

Delightful Pee-wee!

I first saw Pee-wee along with my young children on his Saturday morning Playhouse TV show. Pee-wee's Big Adventure showcases Pee-wee at his best in a delightful journey in search of his bicycle. For those young at heart, Pee-wee takes you back to your childhood, laughing all the way! March 5, 2008

After twenty-odd years, still funny!

This is one of those"Timeless" comedies, one that never seems to grow old.

In his most famous role, Paul Reubens stars as Pee-Wee Herman, an eccentric boy whose one passion in his life is his bicycle. He lives with his dog, Speck, and seems to have a care-free existence, until the day his treasured bike is stolen. He then embarks on a cross-country journey to find it, and meets a variety of people, some friendly, some not, and gets into various scrapes as well. Of course, in time he gets it back, and becomes a minor celebrity in the process.

This is one of those movies that has SO MANY layers in the screenplay, it takes multiple viewings to fully appreciate it. On the surface, it is chock full of sight gags and puns, and within the first few minutes, you see a brilliant Rube Goldberg invention that prepares breakfast for our hero as he brushes his teeth and gets ready to greet the day. Yes, it's silly, but that's what attracts younger viewers, and the depth is what draws the adult segment of the audience into it. The breakfast segment is pure genius. The rapid-fire jokes and such keep one amused as a sinister plot develops. Pee-Wee's nemesis, a spoiled rich boy named Francis Buxton covets the bike, and since it's his birthday, he offers to buy the bike from Pee-Wee. Of course, the offer is declined, and the story takes a turn as Francis says, "...You'll be SORRY, Pee-Wee Herman!!!" Covering his own tracks, he pays some punk to steal the bike, but decides he doesn't want it anymore. The theft puts Pee-Wee on a cross-country journey, as stated earlier, and the art of parody comes into play. Literally every genre of film is lampooned as he thumbs a ride from an escaped convict, and they get past a police force's roadblock in disguise. He gets a ride with a truck driver who turns out to be a ghost, he eats a meal in a diner where they fear this ghost, and so on. To name it all, would be very time-consuming, and spoiling to anyone who hasn't seen this comedy masterpiece, if any such people exist. And if you haven't seen this, it's probably because you never watch movies or have never owned a TV.

It's a little overkill, reviewing this movie after so long, and after so many people have seen it, so many times, but it is a bit of nostalgia, and if you try to put your pride aside, and distance yourself from Reubens' recent exploits, it will be the fastest hour-and-a-half in your day.

"...I know you are, but what am I?..." March 1, 2008

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