Pee-wee’s Big Adventure
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Synopsis
One of the most eccentric comedies of the 1980s, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is a pop-culture touchstone that helped make a manic oddball named Pee-wee Herman—the creation and alter ego of actor-comedian Paul Reubens—into an icon for outsiders of all ages. It also established the distinctive style of director Tim Burton, whose eye-popping visual sense is already on full display in this, his first feature film. Following the gleefully irreverent Pee-wee as he embarks on a road trip to recover his beloved stolen bicycle, the movie unfolds with the antic invention of a live-action cartoon, combining a gallery of memorably wacky characters, colorful, kitschy Americana, and surreal flights of fancy into a joyously uninhibited paean to creativity and the spirit of childhood.
Picture 10/10
The Criterion Collection presents Tim Burton’s debut feature, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, on 4K UHD with Dolby Vision and delivered in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on a triple-layer disc. The 2160p/24Hz ultra high-definition presentation is sourced from a new 4K restoration created from a scan of the original 35mm camera negative. The set also includes a Blu-ray featuring a 1080p presentation from the same restoration, along with all of the video-based supplements.
Maybe I’m more surprised than I should be (if only because I never expected this film to receive such a vigorous restoration) but the end results look unbelievably good when all is said and done. Compared to the extremely dated master found on Warner's previous Blu-ray, this new presentation is far sharper and more film-like. Grain is surprisingly heavy, more than I was expecting, but it’s rendered beautifully and cleanly, retaining a natural texture throughout without any issues with blocky patterns or noise.
Foggier scenes, such as the nighttime sequence where Large Marge makes her appearance, look terrific, cleanly rendering the light as it cuts through the haze without any strain while keeping grain intact and stable. Highlights are equally impressive, with the finer details still present and no obvious clipping, while shadows are deep with wonderful gradations. A handful of noirish shots in particular stand out in this regard.
Dolby Vision and HDR aid significantly here, especially in handling those shadows. They also nicely enhance highlights, whether reflecting off Pee-wee’s bicycle or intensifying the headlights of Large Marge’s rig, and give the color palette a nice boost. Primaries pop nicely, with reds, greens, and blues all looking rich without appearing overstated. Compared to the older presentation, the image does lean slightly greener, but I found this far preferable to the heavy magenta push of the previous master, with skin tones looking better here.
The restoration work has also done an excellent job cleaning up the image overall. All told, this is a fantastic new presentation, one I never would have expected for Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, and I have no doubt fans will be delighted.
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure - Screen Captures
Audio 8/10
Criterion includes two audio options: the film’s original 2-channel surround track and a remastered 5.1 mix, both presented in DTS-HD MA. Both sound excellent, though I ultimately prefer the 2-channel track, which has been newly restored for this edition. Dialogue comes across sharper and clearer, with better range and fidelity, and Danny Elfman’s score is mixed beautifully within the surround environment.
The 5.1 presentation is also well handled, though I didn’t notice much in the way of discrete activity in the surround channels. Elfman’s score still sounds strong, but dialogue feels a bit flatter by comparison, and I suspect some filtering has been applied (this may be the same remastered 5.1 mix used for the 2000 DVD release). Damage is also never an issue, no pops, dropouts, or crackle present, but the same can also be said of the 2-channel track.
Both options are perfectly serviceable, but I again found the newly restored 2-channel mix to be the more satisfying one.
Extras 8/10
Warner previously released a special edition DVD in 2000, followed by a Blu-ray edition, both of which featured a solid slate of supplements. Criterion ports over most of that material here, starting with two audio commentaries. The first features Tim Burton and actor Paul Reubens. It starts off a little rough, but the two eventually find their footing as they share stories about the film’s production along with Reubens touching on the development of the Pee-wee character. There are plenty of anecdotes from the set, along with discussion around casting, though a good portion of the track focuses on getting the project off the ground and bringing Burton on board. They also touch on abandoned story concepts, including one heavily inspired by Pollyanna. It’s a more serious track than I was expecting, but it’s clear the two are enjoying the opportunity to look back on what was a major turning point for both of them.
The second commentary is actually an isolated score track, accompanied by additional commentary from composer Danny Elfman. The score plays over the appropriate portions of the film (without any effects or dialogue, naturally), with Elfman chiming in between cues to discuss individual pieces or aspects of the overall composition. As an isolated score track, it sounds terrific. As a commentary, however, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Elfman seems uncomfortable leaving any dead air, sometimes talking simply to fill space, even to the point of acknowledging that he doesn’t really have anything to say. When he does find his groove, though, he offers interesting insights into the development of the score and its inspirations. Nino Rota is frequently cited across other supplements as a major influence, but Elfman barely mentions him here, instead focusing more on the impact of Bernard Herrmann, whose influence clearly looms large over portions of the score. He also discusses the experience of composing his first film score, the work it led to afterward, and juggling all of this alongside his commitments to Oingo Boingo. It’s not a great track overall, but there are worthwhile moments when Elfman settles in.
(As a side note, the notes indicate both commentaries were recorded in 2005, though they were originally produced for the 2000 DVD release, following Burton and Elfman finishing Sleepy Hollow, which does come up.)
Also carried over from the Warner releases are the film’s trailer and roughly eleven minutes of deleted scenes, all sourced from video. Pacing was almost certainly the reason for their removal, as most would have brought the film to a halt at the points where they were intended to appear—particularly an extended sequence during the studio chase, where Pee-wee ends up on a Western town set. Still, they’re worth watching on their own, and a few are amusing.
Criterion drops the stills gallery but more than compensates with an impressive slate of new material, beginning with a brand-new interview between Burton and Richard Ayoade. Remarkably, it sounds as though Ayoade had only seen the film for the first time relatively recently (it’s noted that it didn’t receive much of an overseas release), and he opens by expressing his admiration for it before asking Burton about the script’s development and how he became involved, following some background on his brief stint at Disney. Some of this overlaps with the Burton/Reubens commentary, but Burton expands further here on what he brought to the project. He acknowledges the influence of filmmakers like Fellini on his work, while pushing back on the idea that he was consciously channeling them in this film. He also suggests Pee-wee’s Big Adventure may have been an ideal first feature, as it felt more like directing a series of individual skits than a traditional narrative. The two also discuss the film’s enduring popularity, and Burton seems genuinely proud that this is the first of his films to receive a Criterion release. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this open before, having only been exposed to promotional interviews featuring him before, and I’m glad he chose to participate.
Also new is the 38-minute documentary I Meant to Do That, featuring audio interviews with producer Richard Abramson, production designer David L. Snyder, co-writer Michael Varhol, and editor Billy Weber. Playing over film clips and production photos (including images from a crew “yearbook”) the participants discuss the film’s development, each focusing on their specific contributions. Varhol expands on the abandoned Pollyanna-inspired version of the story and explains how the final narrative came together, while also sharing stories about working with Reubens and Phil Hartman and how he helped guide the script as the more experienced screenwriter (he had also never met them prior to this film).
There are plenty of entertaining anecdotes about the film’s early struggles to get off the ground from the other participants, including attempts to secure studio backing (Universal passed for what I found to be a particularly amusing reason). It’s also fun hearing Weber, who had worked on Beverly Hills Cop and Days of Heaven, describe being given a hard time by peers for working on a project they viewed as lightweight, something he took on simply because it looked like a fun challenge. He also discusses the editing of several scenes, including the need to extend one sequence after test audiences apparently lost it and missed dialogue in the following portion. There are also wonderful details about the film’s sets and the breakfast machine. I was a little disappointed that the documentary is primarily audio-only, but it’s nicely assembled, quite enjoyable, and expands meaningfully on material covered in the commentary.
Criterion also includes 36 minutes of footage from an interview and Q&A conducted by Gordon Meyer with Paul Reubens, filmed in 2005. While Reubens revisits the creation of the Pee-wee character, he goes deeper into its origins here, describing how it emerged during an improv night at a comedy club and evolved over time, eventually taking on its distinctive voice and laugh. He also discusses his search for a director in much greater detail, explaining how the studio attempted to force a filmmaker on him—one whose work he disliked, though he never names names—and how he managed to convince them to give him more time, leading him to Burton. He also talks about the film’s rating battle (the studio pushed for PG, while he wanted a G) and mentions a script he wrote for another Pee-wee adventure, which may or may not be related to 2016's Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (I'm not sure). I was surprised by how serious Reubens is throughout, but the result is a revealing and insightful look at the character and its creator.
Finally, Criterion includes 24 minutes of excerpts from a 40th Anniversary Reunion filmed earlier this year, featuring actors Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, and Diane Salinger, editor Weber, and effects artists Stephen and Edward Chiodo. It’s not the complete event, which appears to have run over an hour based on what I could find online, but the selected material smartly avoids repetition and focuses instead on performances from the members and the film’s effects work, including the Chiodos’ stop-motion contributions. It makes for a solid closer. The included insert, featuring a fun illustrated map of Pee-wee’s journey, also includes a new essay on the film by Jesse Thorn.
All told, Criterion has done a wonderful job assembling this release, pulling together as many participants as possible while digging up some great archival material. Fans should be more than happy digging through everything on offer here.
Closing
Lovingly assembled, Criterion’s new 4K edition pairs an incredible new presentation with an excellent slate of supplemental material. A wonderful edition.
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