Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure marked the 1985 big-screen debut both for Paul Reubens's titular alter-ego (a children's TV show character Reubens originally created in an improvisational comedy revue) and director Tim Burton: a perfect melding of sensibilities. Pee-Wee is a lunatic man-child wearing an out-of-date suit and frolicking in a funhouse brought to life with Burton's surreal imagery and candy-colored sets. All of it hangs on a wispy plot concerning a neighborhood bully, a stolen red bicycle, and a cross-country quest to reunite Pee-Wee and his bike—an adventure that brings him in contact with a motorcycle gang, escaped convicts, rodeo clowns, Japanese monsters, and all sorts of other scary folks. Co-written by Reubens with improv buddy and future SNL star Phil Hartman, and Michael Varhol, the screenplay is full of playground puns and clever cartoonish gags. Pee-Wee evokes a little kid playing grown-up in an adult world without losing his sense of wonder in this epic road movie featuring some of the strangest characters (like Large Marge, a ghostlike female trucker) to ever grace the silver screen. Making a welcome debut on Blu-ray, extras include audio commentary by Burton and Reubens, deleted scenes, an isolated music score (with additional comments by composer Danny Elfman), and production sketches and storyboards. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)