"Pee-wee's Big Adventure" isn't just the best Pee-wee Herman film; it's one of the very best American films of the '80s, full stop, and a shining example of what Tim Burton was capable of in his early, energetic prime as a filmmaker. Written by Paul Reubens alongside Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol, and taking inspiration from the 1948 Italian neorealist classic "Bicycle Thieves," Burton's feature directorial debut takes the simplest of narrative starting points — Pee-wee Herman has his bicycle stolen, and embarks on a desperate nationwide search for it — and turns it into one of the most raucous, inventive, surprising, and relentlessly hilarious comedies ever made.
Almost all of the unique, inimitable greatness we now associate with Pee-wee's screen appearances was born here, from the surreal abandon of the storytelling to the ingenuity of the comedic set pieces to the consistent strength and maximalist flair of the gags. As if all that weren't enough, it's the perfectly-designed cinematic vehicle to showcase all of Reubens' je ne sais quoi as a performer — the way that he committed to each pratfall and each line delivery so thoroughly, and with such indefatigable attention to character and tone that any five-second stretch of the film could be its own comedy masterclass in miniature. That he did it while making it all look so easy, and projecting such an electric, contagious, life-affirming sense of joy and generosity along with the film's similarly brilliant ensemble, is enough to demonstrate why he'll always be remembered as a legend.
