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- 1985
- PG
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- 1 h 31 m
- 1985
- PG
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- 1 h 31 m
Summary When Pee Wee's beloved bike is stolen, he goes on a cross-country trip to the Alamo because a "physic" tells him it's there. On the way, he finds himself in one oddball encounter after another, from posing as an escaped convict's alibi girlfriend to dancing his way out of a biker brawl in a bar to riding in a big-rig with cackling Large...
Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: Phil Hartman, Paul Reubens, Michael Varhol
- 1985
- PG
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- 1 h 31 m
- 1985
- PG
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- 1 h 31 m
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
47
7.4
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Summary When Pee Wee's beloved bike is stolen, he goes on a cross-country trip to the Alamo because a "physic" tells him it's there. On the way, he finds himself in one oddball encounter after another, from posing as an escaped convict's alibi girlfriend to dancing his way out of a biker brawl in a bar to riding in a big-rig with cackling Large...
Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: Phil Hartman, Paul Reubens, Michael Varhol
Where to Watch
Coming Soon
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 14 Critic Reviews
47
64% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
29% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 14 Critic Reviews
47
64% Positive
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
7% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
29% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
Everything about Pee-wee's Big Adventure, from its toy-box colors to its superb, hyperanimated Danny Elfman score to the butch-waxed hairdo and wooden-puppet walk of its star and mastermind, Pee-wee Herman, is pure pleasure.
Burton's first feature revels in the weird, the unpredictable, the infantile and the absurd. A dazzling debut.
By Staff (Not Credited) FULL REVIEW
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 86 User Ratings
7.4
76% Positive
65 Ratings
65 Ratings
15% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
9% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 86 User Ratings
7.4
76% Positive
65 Ratings
65 Ratings
15% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
9% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
Sep 9, 2024
This is the stuff cult classics are made of, the kind of film that's so offbeat, unexpected, kitschy and contentedly niched that one can't help but wonder how a major studio gave it the green light. Paul Reubens lives and breathes this role (literally - he's credited for the role of Pee-Wee as "himself"), and he couldn't have asked for a better dance partner than the similarly quirky, fringe-dwelling director Tim Burton (in his first major picture). Reubens is genuinely larger-than-life in this loose collection of vignettes and skits, and the whole mess is tied together with all the care and subtlety of a spaceship made of duct tape and cardboard. Even when he's not making a direct footprint on the screen, Pee-Wee's influence oozes from every frame, coating everything from the scenery to the wardrobe to the manic, impulsive style of shooting. It's a perfect interpretation of the character's then-famous stage show, an ideal introduction for the unfamiliar masses, and a natural launchpad to ****. I'll grant that it's not for everyone, but for those of us with an appreciation for drag queens, John Waters, The B-52's and sixties housewife chic, it's a direct hit. Pee-Wee represents that rare crossroads where unbridled mayhem, conscience-free good times and hysterical laughter collide in a loud, twisted, dirty ball of pandemonium. I think it's safe to say this one can never be replicated, and I'm both overjoyed and deflated to realize it.
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Aug 19, 2020
A fantastic movie that wastes no time with the laughs and getting into the plot. Within 15 minutes you’re into the plot proper and ready to go on a spectacular journey with Pee Wee to find his beloved bicycle. With superb and stylish direction by Tim Burton and an excellent soundtrack by Danny Elfman to complement things further you’re in for a great time!
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Pee-wee's Big Adventure goes up and down the hills of Pee-wee shtick, without much concern for things like cohesiveness and consistency. What makes it wear so well is the balance achieved between Pee-wee's nitwit nervousness and his pathetic optimism. [12 Aug 1985, p.35]
By Llyod Sachs
With all these safety features built in, this 1985 film is too well padded to qualify as genuinely radical wit, but in an even-toned, TV sort of way it's mildly amusing and inventive throughout.
Children should love the film and adults will be dismayed by the light brushstrokes with which Paul Reubens (one of three credited screenwriters, but star-billed under his stage name, Pee-wee Herman) suggests touches of Buster Keaton and Eddie Cantor.
By Staff (Not Credited) FULL REVIEW
The movie has the cartoonish realism of a Muppet movie. However, Mr. Herman is no Kermit the Frog, although he made me feel like Oscar the Grouch. [13 Aug 1985, p.1]
Nothing, absolutely nothing, at either location is the slightest bit funny. [13 Sep 1985, p.C]
Aug 11, 2011
I find it astonishing that this film, Tim Burton's directorial debut Pee-wee's Big Adventure, has such a low score here at Metacritic. Although I'm not the biggest fan of Burton's style and find his work to be mostly overrated, this movie is a masterpiece of camp that led to one of the greatest 'children's shows' of all-time, Pee-Wee's Playhouse. The deadpan humor never gets old..
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Jun 22, 2013
A fun filled adventure that just proves you don't come between a man and his bike. A solid start in the very mixed directorial career of Mr. Tim Burton.
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Jul 28, 2020
I am not a fan of Burton because he has these great characters and ideas but he uses them in such an uninspiring fashion that movie becomes painfully boring. I never laughed while watching this movie.
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Production Company
- Warner Bros.
- Aspen Film Society
Release Date Aug 9, 1985
Duration 1 h 31 m
Rating PG
Tagline You will believe a man can ride a bike.
Awards
Young Artist Awards
• 1 Nomination
TV Land Awards
• 1 Nomination
