On P List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
10/25
10/25:
Which of the following is the weirdest?
The existence of Pee-wee Herman, the breaking news on July 26, 1991, that Paul Reubens was arrested for
masturbating at an adult film theater in Sarasota, Florida, or the mug shot that showed what Pee-wee really
looked like? The incident completely destroyed Paul Reubens' character and the innocence of his works.
On Pee-wee's Playhouse, a Saturday morning TV show that came after Pee-wee's Big Adventure,
Paul Reubens explained, "I'm just trying to illustrate that it's okay to be different—not that it's good,
not that it's bad, but that it's all right. I'm trying to tell kids to have a good time and to encourage them
to be creative and to question things" Uh...message received loud and clear. Plus, I always knew Paul Reubens was
gay, but it wasn't confirmed until now in a documentary, two years after he died. It's debatable whether or
not he was a pedophile.
All right, back to the cult film...it makes for an odd but harmless viewing. There's no comedy but me being
incredulous at the sight of Pee-wee Herman while thinking of the infamous arrest. It's impossible to separate
these two. As for the performances, Paul Reubens is all right while the rest of the cast is forgettable.
How about the moment when a breakfast was prepared for Pee-wee? He poured cereal on the pancakes and ate only
a few pieces before leaving the house. Talk about waste just like the rest of his kitsches, causing me to wonder
what Pee-wee did for a living. He was prepared to offer a $10,000 reward for the return of his bike, but why
not spend 5% of that on a new bike and move on? By the way, the music video...yeah, that's Dee Snider of
Twisted Sister.
All in all, Pee-wee's Big Adventure is a decent start for Tim Burton who was personally selected by
Paul Reubens after seeing Frankenweenie.