Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
84%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: 2 nominations
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure brings Paul Reubens’ famous character to the big screen intact, along with enough inspired silliness to dazzle children of all ages
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is a wild ride that will have you laughing and scratching your head at the same time. Tim Burton’s first feature film is a true original that takes you on a journey through Pee-wee Herman’s wacky world. From his beloved bike being stolen to his run-ins with a ghostly truck driver, this movie is full of bizarre and hilarious moments. While some of the jokes may fall flat, the film’s overall inventiveness and charm make it a must-see for anyone who loves offbeat comedies. So hop on your bike and join Pee-wee on his big adventure!
Production Company(ies)
Evergreen Pictures, Candescent Films, Artemis Rising Foundation
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Wheel Inn Restaurant – 50900 Seminole Drive, Cabazon, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1985
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 30m
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Language(s):English, French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 19, 1985 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 4, 2008
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Paul Reubens, E.G Daily, Mark Holton, Diane Salinger, Tony Bill, Cassandra Peterson, directed by Tim Burton, written by Phil Hartman, Paul Reubens, Michael Varhol, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Paul Attanasio, Dave Kehr, Variety Staff, Vincent Canby, Marjorie Baumgarten, Steve Warren, David Nusair, David Sterritt, David Parkinson, Felix Vasquez Jr., Matt Brunson, PG rating, Richard Abramson, Robert Shapiro, Paul Reubens produced Pee-wee Herman, red bicycle, Alamo, Dottie, Francis, Simone, Terry Hawthorne, Biker Mama, found objects, low culture, Buster Keaton, Eddie Cantor, children’s movie, unique, creative, journey, adventure, comedy maverick, unique vision, silly, ridiculous, unapologetic fantasy, imaginative, creepy, scary, cult classic
Worldwide gross: $41,047,344
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $115,938,012
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 951
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 12,643,186
US/Canada gross: $41,047,344
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $115,938,012
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 652
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,545,847
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $12,839,722
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 868
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $6,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $16,946,969
Production budget ranking: 1,453
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $9,125,943
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $89,865,100
ROI to date (est.): 345%
ROI ranking: 402
E.G. Daily – Dottie
Mark Holton – Francis
Diane Salinger – Simone
Tony Bill – Terry Hawthorne
Cassandra Peterson – Biker Mama
Director(s)
Tim Burton
Writer(s)
Phil Hartman, Paul Reubens, Michael Varhol
Producer(s)
Richard Abramson, Robert Shapiro, Paul Reubens
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (46) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (6)
“Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” isn’t a movie but a collection of found objects from the garbage heap of low culture…
January 2, 2018
Paul Attanasio
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Reubens always lets us feel superior to his creation, and when his character slips, as it does more than once in this first feature outing, his own condescension shows through.
February 9, 2010
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
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.
February 9, 2010
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Fed by comic tributaries perhaps, but Pee-Wee Herman comes over as a delightful original.
February 9, 2006
Brian Case
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
You have been warned.
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
This is the movie that, rightfully, catapulted both Tim Burton and Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman) into the superstar arena.
March 10, 2003
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Adventure is a well-produced showcase that sets [Pee-Wee Herman] firmly in line with classic clowns from Chaplin through Jerry Lewis.
May 22, 2020
Steve Warren
Bay Area Reporter
Tim Burton’s first (and best) movie…
March 22, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
It’s a true original — a comedy maverick that looks and feels like no other movie I know.
July 31, 2015
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor
It’s a bold attempt to do something dazzlingly original, although some of the gags are spectacularly unfunny and Pee-wee’s nervous prattling can become irritating.
July 31, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
David Parkinson
Radio Times
Burton demonstrates his knack for building seemingly dynamic meta-worlds inside our own world, depicting Pee Wee’s own journey as exciting, harrowing, and often times scary.
November 1, 2014
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
The film’s inventiveness is on display from the get-go.
October 4, 2012 | Rating: 4/4
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing…
Plot
The cartoonish and childish character Pee-wee Herman goes on a big adventure for the first time ever when his beloved shiny new bicycle is stolen by his nemesis Francis Buxton, a fellow man-child and neighborhood rich “kid.” And he sets off on an obsessive cross-country journey, determined to recover it. Pee-wee’s awkward and childish attempts to be cool and mature.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments are given by Fresh Kernels about Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.
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