Plot: What’s it about?
It’s hard to believe with the caliber of a director like Tim Burton that he started out with a movie like this. Don’t get me wrong, I love this movie and it has always been one of my favorites. But when you think dark and dismal you basically think of either David Fincher movies or Tim Burton. I mean the guy has done “Batman”, “Mars Attacks!”, “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” just to name a few. Heck, the titles alone radiate darkness, much less the content of his movies. Still, you have to start somewhere, and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure is where he started. As much of a contrast from his more recent movies, like “Sleepy Hollow”, this movie is bright and vivid and full of color. And it should be…it’s a story about a guy named “Pee Wee” looking for his bike!
We meet Pee Wee from the beginning. He has got to be the happiest man alive, he loves his bike and dreams of winning the Tour de France! Everything is right in his happy, colorful world until a local spoiled rich kid steals it. Pee Wee has no proof of this and neither do we, but as it turns out he does have it and Pee Wee is bound and determined to get it back. So Pee Wee sets off in search of his bike, based on a few tips of people who have seen it. It even leads him to the Alamo of all places! You might say that the people that he meets along the way are somewhat of an “interesting” bunch. There’s a seven foot tall lumberjack who doesn’t want his girlfriend to experience her true joy in life…going to France. There’s the excape convict that gives Pee Wee a lift until he runs his car off a cliff and then there’s Large Marge. Large Marge is a truck driver who picks Pee Wee up and gives him a lift, only Pee Wee discovers that she has been dead for 10 years! Weird! Of course, things just wouldn’t be right if Pee Wee didn’t find his bike, but let’s just say that it’s really close to home. He also gets other facets of his life together as well, but he’s still the same ‘ol Pee Wee. Overall, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure is basically just that. We don’t take Paul Reubens as a serious actor, we count on him to make us laugh, and he does (or at least me). He’s so goofy in the movie, and it’s such a brilliant work of Tim Burton’s art, that it’s almost impossible not to like this movie. Give Pee Wee’s Big Adventure a try, if you haven’t already.
Video: How does it look?
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure is presented in it’s original 1.85:1 image. The picture is 16:9 enhanced and for the most part, the colors and the pictue look great. The film is 15 years old now and is showing a few signs of aging, but still is mighty impressive. For a movie as colorful as this, there are some scenes that look outstanding, but some of the darker scenes aren’t as impressive. Not that they look bad, just not as impressive as the daytime scenes. Overall, it’s another great print from Warner. This disc was worth the wait.
Audio: How does it sound?
A remixed Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is offered and it, like the video, is very good. While it’s not really a match for some of today’s movies, it serves it’s purpose very well. The dialogue is very clean and clear and the surround effects are used just enough to impress you (and I was impressed). What is really great is the isolated soundtrack. The soundtrack even has a commentary with composer Danny Elfman (is there anything this guy can’t do), but he only talks when there’s no music and it’s a great audio addition.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Well, let’s see…in addition to the usual Production notes and cast bios, there is also an original trailer. There are some deleted scenes, which are in full screen and have that annoying time coding thing on top, but they’re still interesting to watch (it’s clear why they were cut, though). What is most amusing is the feature-length commentary by Director Tim Burton and Pee Wee himself Paul Reubens. They keep going on and on about how their budget was so small and wondered what people at Warner Bros. would think when Pee Wee did this or that. Very amusing. As an extra bonus, there is an isolated soundtrack with commentary by the one and only Danny Elfman. Elfman offers a new level of insight into the soundtrack alone. I learned a lot about how movies are mixed and scored just by listening to this. This is truly a bonus and a great disc to boot. If you’re at all a Pee Wee fan, this is one you have to have!
