Tim Burton's directoral debut is so chock full of interesting bits and vision that a running commentary by Burton and creator/star Paul Reubens should have resulted in one of the best alternate tracks available on DVD. Unfortunately, their commentary becomes instead The Mutual Admiration Society, with long stories about how they came across each other, how great each thinks the other is, and who else was in the room when they met. Reubens and Burton spend too much time telling stories that ramble and don't go anywhere, and too little time commenting on the film itself.When they DO manage to discuss the film, they are as interesting as you would expect, but these instances are few and far between. Burton for the most part sounds like he just woke up, and Reubens spends a lot of the film saying, "Uh-huh, yeah."
It's also rather appalling that Reubens can hardly bring himself to say the name of fellow screenwriter Phil Hartman (Reubens early on says "me and the other two guys who wrote the film...") -in fact, you won't hear him mention Hartman by name until the very end of the film when Hartman makes his cameo.
Some gentle prodding during the taping of this sequence would have produced something that I think more fans were looking for and expecting.
Like some other reviewers, I too couldn't find some of the knick-knacks promised in the pre-release. However, the one real prize on this disc is the alternate track isolating the music, with commentary by Danny Elfman. Elfman's insights into the film and its music are first-rate, and while I'm pleased Elfman does NOT talk over his music, it might have made it even more interesting had he discussed some of the nuances of his work while the tracks were playing.
The film quality on the DVD is top-notch, and the menu screens are clever (when you make a selection, Pee-wee goes speeding over to the new menu on his bike). The film itself is brilliant -no need on my part to give you a summary -and the widescreen format and new sound for this film alone would make the DVD worth owning. But with the exception of the Elfman alternative track, many of the first-rate extras viewers are coming to expect in these packages are, sadly, missing here.
Five stars for the film itself, but a low two for the extras, bringing this one to a soft three. Darn it.
Paul Reubens does such an amazing job of playing an innocent child-like adult. His house is a kids dream house, and any grown-up who doesn't realize that place would be an absolute joy to live in doesn't deserve to be a grown-up! This movie is complete 80's nostalgia for me since I saw way too many times as a baby of the 80s. Oh yeah, and who can forget the pet-store scene! This movie rocks! That's right it does, it just completely rocks all!!!
Buy Pee-wee's Big Adventure (2011) Now
I had no idea who Tim Burton was when I first saw this amazing movie back in '85, but I've been following his career since. And jaded as I was, when Large Marge sprouted that twisted, burning wreck of a face at me, I JUMPED, no lie. It takes talent to scare viewers like that. (Imagine what Burton would've done with GODZILLA, instead of those derivitive hacks) I'm not ashamed to admit that I've seen this gem countless times. Any of you future parents will want to get the DVD version so you can introduce your kids to this bizarre mix of fairy tale, horror, and dark comedy. They'll thank you for it, because Pee Wee is just the right antidote for all that hip-hop macho posturing out there in the streets and in the schools. Danny Elfman's score is incredibly hard to forget, and so is Francis Buxton, and even Amazing Larry! One of the best movies ever to be released in the 80s. (Despite the lag near the ending). I pity the fool that don't buy this video!Read Best Reviews of Pee-wee's Big Adventure (2011) Here
This is like the wierdest movie ever, hand's down, all around brilliant filmmaking in it's most artistic form. C'mon who would'nt want a bike like that? Nothing could ever reach the genious of this masterpiece. Pee Wee should have won an Oscar for his performance, this was obviously the peak of Tim Burtons career. Pee Wee's Big Adventure is not a movie it's an experience. Highly recommended?????Want Pee-wee's Big Adventure (2011) Discount?
As a fan of Danny Elfman since his "Forbidden Zone" and Oingo Boingo days, I was pleasantly surprised by the interesting commentary Elfman provides between his compositions on the isolated audio track.I, like many others, was very disappointed that not all of the originally-advertised extras were included on the DVD, but based on the overall quality of the released product, I still feel it earns "five stars".
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