Review of Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) by Ben L — 01 May 2016

I'd be surprised if anyone couldn't easily see why Pee-Wee is one of the most love-it or hate-it characters of all time. Paul Reubens shtick can easily come off as tedious or annoying, but since I came upon the character at the right time in my life I still see the funny within that obnoxious exterior.

One of the things that Pee-Wee's Big Adventure captures better than most films is the behavior and thought-process of a kid. While Pee-Wee may look like an adult, his entire personality is a perfect representation of how adults would behave if they never matured past 8 years old.

There are so many moments in this film that make me laugh, like how he wins over a biker gang through his silly dance moves, or how he saves every animal in a pet shop one at a time instead of just putting out the fire.

There are also a number of jokes that I laughed at as an adult that I never fully understood when I was a kid watching this for the first time. I especially love the sequence where he rides through WB studios, and then gets his story made into a movie which is nothing like the movie we are watching.

Tim Burton also has some fun with this movie by adding creepy elements, including an intense dream sequence (and, of course, Large Marge) that would terrify younger viewers. I think those moments might have bothered me more than most back in the day, and that's why I haven't revisited it in decades, but they're kind of mild by today's standards.

There's something nostalgic in Pee-Wee and his world for me, but I will always understand when someone tells me they hate it.