“Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” - Film Deep Dive
Tim Burton has been known for dark and spooky films since he has become a mainstream director. However, his first film was very different from the Burton style we are used to, when he directed, “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,” in 1985.
“Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” seems like the perfect showing inside the mind of Pee Wee Herman. The film is all about Herman and his favorite thing in the whole wide world, his bike.
Pee Wee’s love for his bike came to bother his neighbor, Francis, who wanted to purchase the bike from Herman early in the film. Angering his neighbor, Francis pays a man to steal Herman’s bike, and leads to an intense chase to the Alamo to rescue his bike from the basement.
Burton takes us on an incredible journey for Pee Wee as he races to Texas to save his bike. His adventure includes some very memorable scenes, including hitchhiking with an escaped convict, and dancing to “Tequila” at a bar.
The film reaches its climax when Pee Wee sees his bike on television at Warner Bros. Studios. This leads to a high-speed scene when Herman is scrambling through the studio trying to steal his bike back.
Pee Wee explains his story to the security at Warner Bros, leading to the studio creating a film inside the film about Pee Wee’s adventure, giving this story a happy ending.
Burton’s film is very interesting to say the least, and looking back on it, it is completely different from anything Burton is known for. “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” is a very light movie with a lot of happy scenes that mixes in some Burton themes with some dark scenes.
Pee Wee Herman puts on a great performance as well, playing the role he has done in his television shows very well. Herman is one of the best comedic minds of his time, and his facial reactions and sense of humor are clearly present within the film.
A scene that really stands out is the “Tequila” dance scene that Herman is a part of during a potential bar fight. Herman dances his way out of a dangerous situation, and puts on a comedy dance performance that would even strike a smile from the most serious individual.
As for the plot, it is a very acquired taste to enjoy the story of the film. The main theme of finding Herman’s bike is prevalent throughout, but also a lot of the small side plots are all over the board. A side plot with the escaped convict, to a small love story, to the trip to the Alamo and all the way to the Warner Bros. Studios made for a wild story that may be hard for some people to follow.
With that being said, the movie is nonstop action that is entertaining with very few dead spots, making “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” a fun film for the entire family to enjoy.
Rating: 4/5
Adam Sheetz is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ads360@psu.edu.
