Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
When
we’re kids, there’s a part of us that wishes we never had to grow up. We may
like to be in a hurry to be a grown up, so we can do what we want, where and
when we want to, break out of school, break free from our parents, from rules,
and all those other boundaries and limitations that are placed on us as kids.
But then again, there is something special about being a kid; you can get away
with a lot. You can have all your toys and no one asks you why. You can express
yourself in anyway you want to. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could have the
body of an adult, but still act like a kid? That’s where the idea for Pee Wee
Herman came from.
But
first, who is Pee Wee Herman. Or rather, what is Pee Wee Herman? He is a man
that has put the most creative, inventive and playful thoughts into everything
about everything in his life. His house is a zany playground, where any toy you
can imagine is there, and instead of just sitting there waiting to be played
with, each toy actually serves a purpose. Watching this guy make breakfast is
an event on its own. It cooks itself while he goes off and brushes his teeth.
When he returns, a plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes is waiting for him. Ever
wanted to top that off with some cereal? Pee Wee does. Want to have a bunch of
inventions make the smallest, most pointless task look like an outrageous game?
Pee Wee can. He lives for fun and everything he does is fun. There is never a
dull moment in his unusual life, and that’s mainly what appealed to me so much
as a kid. Life should be fun. Enjoyment should be found in the smallest things.
If you can turn something boring into a game, why wouldn’t you? If you can rig
up your house to be an insane experiment of machines and inventions consisting
of toys that do all your chores, you would jump at that chance. But, since the
majority of us wouldn’t even know where to start, you can just sit back and
watch Pee Wee Herman do it, as he has mastered the art of being playful.
Surely,
Pee Wee Herman is one of the most original move characters ever concieved, and
his debut movie “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” is one of the most creative kids
movies ever made. Purely for the fact that it’s about a guy who goes looking
for his bike when it’s taken from him. That’s the plot more or less, but it’s
the character and how he’s portrayed, perfectly by actor Paul Reuben’s. And the
crazy adventure he goes on in search of his beloved bicycle.
The
dilemma begins after Pee Wee rides his bike into town, to visit the magic shop
where he stocks up on new supplies; as if he didn’t have enough at home, but
anyway. He then hops next door to pick up his brand new and upgraded horn for
his bicycle. Upon exiting, Pee Wee is shocked to discover his beloved bike has
been stolen. From the middle of the shopping mall, where it was wrapped in
chains and impenetrable to even the best thief, someone has taken it. From
here, Pee Wee launches his one man crusade across America to get back his
beloved bicycle.
What
follows isn’t so much a story, but more a collection of moments and scenes that
are just purely fun and very entertaining. Most of us can decide whether we are
a Pee Wee Herman fan or not very quickly. Ten minutes into watching the film,
you will quickly decide whether you like him or hate him. If he annoys you so
early into the film, you won’t enjoy the rest of it, because it’s essentially
one scene after another of Pee Wee being, well, Pee Wee. But if his humour and
antics are your thing, you will lap it up. Pee Wee Herman can join the ranks of
cinemas most oddball and original characters, portrayed by actors who seemed
born to play the part. In the 90’s it was Ace Ventura. In the 00’s, it was
Borat. The characters themselves are the attraction of the movie, not the
story. And put these characters into any situation, and hilarity will ensue.
That’s how this film rolls along for its 90 minutes or so.
As
Pee Wee gets way off track in the search for his bike, he will run into just
about every type of character you could imagine meeting on the road, and what
could just be a brief encounter with not much else to warrant it as
interesting, becomes an episode of laughs in itself. Each scene is very well
thought out in every single regard, and visualised beautifully and with plenty
of colour on screen by director Tim Burton. This was his feature film as
director, and it really gives a good indication as to what would follow in his
career; choosing to direct films about unusual characters that inhabit their own
unique world, and taking you on a journey with them that is strange, amazing
and completely different.
Watching
Pee Wee again after so many years was real fun, and I had forgotten how funny
it actually was. Paul Reuben’s never did anything as good as Pee Wee, and it’s
the character he has always been known for and always will be. He channels a
performance that really does come from another plane of existence all together.
He doesn’t just play the part; he lives it. I’m sure much of the film consisted
of improvisation by the actor, who was probably just let loose on set in most
of his scenes to let the character take off and get carried away. Like I said
earlier, you will either like him or you won’t. Whether you’re a lover or a
hater, there’s no denying there is a certain appeal to the character of Pee Wee
Herman. His life is simple; he lives for his bike. But how he lives his life is
far from ordinary. Throw him into any normal situation, and he will elevate it
to a crazy level of preposterous behaviour, childlike curiosity, innocence and
an energy that seems to just burst out of him and never run out.
Watching
Pee Wee in his debut film is certainly an experience. It’s not like any other
movie I can think of, and holds a special place in the “Movies of my Childhood”
list. When I watch it as a kid, I wished I had a bike as cool as Pee Wees. I
wish my house had just half of the toys and inventions he does. I wished I
could have gone off on a Big Adventure like him, where every place and person
you meet becomes a memorable occasion. And of course, the stand out scene in
the film, where Pee Wee tracks his bike down to a Hollywood film studio, steals
it from a set then rides it through the whole studio while the security guards
chase him, was just awesome. He casually rides through a bunch of movies being
made, and skilfully avoids capture with his collection of gadgets and nifty
tricks all built into his bike. He emerges triumphant, and in the end, the
studio decides to make a movie about him and his adventure. His story was one
so unbelievable it could only be believed as a movie, so the movie about his
story becomes a movie, and we watch Pee Wee watch his movie on screen, and get
reminded that stuff like this only happens in the movies; magic, mayhem, adventure
and invention.
Pee
Wee‘s Big Adventure is an adventure of a viewing experience. Having just
watched it again recently to write this review was like coming full circle in a
way, as it instantly connected me to that time in childhood where all you want
to do, and have to do really, is live in your own little world of fun, games
and imagination. Being an adult now, I can’t go there as such, but I can relive
it with Pee Wee. Good fun!
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