Tim Burton: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

Pee-Wee: What did you do?
Mickey: Well, I lost my temper and I took a knife and I uh- Do you know those "Do Not Remove Under the Penalty of Law" labels they put on mattresses? Well, I cut one of them off!
Pee-Wee: Jee...
Mickey: Yeah, I have a real bad temper.

After leaving Disney, Tim Burton received an offer from comedian Paul Reubens to direct his first feature length film. Reubens' show, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, was doing so well that Warner Brothers wanted him to write a feature script and, having seen "Vincent" and "Frankenweenie," Reubens and the producers wanted Burton to direct. Burton was drawn to both Pee-Wee as a character and the humor of Pee-Wee's Playhouse and gladly accepted the job.

The film tells the story of Pee-Wee Herman, an eccentric man who cherishes his bicycle about all things. When it is stolen, Pee-Wee enlists the help of a psychic who sends to the basement of the Alamo to look for it. Along the way, he has run-ins with many quirky people who help him with his mission.

It was a commercially successful picture, making over $40 million in theaters compared to its $7 million budget, and the reviews, although mixed, were generally positive. Many elements of Burton's film making can already be seen in this film in everything from the central character being an eccentric loner to the use of some stop-motion animation. His overly colorful, cheerful sets in Pee-Wee's house and the town are strongly indicative of Edward Sissorhands. His exaggerated characters can be seen in his later comedies. Even his use of Danny Elfman, who composed his first film score for this movie, would set the standard for his future films. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure gained popularity over the years to become a cult classic and Burton was now considered to be a worthwhile risk for studios.

Personally, I would probably like this movie more if Pee-Wee himself were not so annoying. His incessant laughter is frustrating as is his make-up. Additionally, the story loses steam in the last act when it should be reaching it's climax. While the movie was excellent from a technical aspect, with fantastic production design, some excellent shots, and several good jokes, it is not something I would seek out or recommend just because of the main character's obnoxious personality. The depiction of Texas and Texans was very amusing however, and they did shoot on location in San Antonio. 2 stars.