Paul Reubens followed up the smash debut of his famous character with this interesting, somewhat muddled second adventure for Pee-wee. The character is now a happy farmer - with a talking pet pig - who's dating a cute schoolteacher (Penelope Ann Miller). Then one magical night a terrible storm just drops an ENTIRE CIRCUS onto Pee-wee's property. In no time, he develops circus fever, trying to come up with ways to become a part of the show.
"Big Top Pee-wee" is definitely a curiosity. It's not going to appeal to people who enjoyed the sometimes darker, more subversive tone of the first Pee-wee film. It plays more like a standard family film, complete with endearing animals. That said, it has its very offbeat, more adult moments, like an old lady making a reference to bulimia, or Pee-wee making "train through the tunnel" comments, etc. Add to this the conventional romantic subplot with Pee-wee becoming seriously smitten with star trapeze artist Gina (the very sexy Valeria Golino, in the role that officially introduced her), and you have a comedy with something of an identity crisis. Like this viewer said, it's certainly odd enough to maintain some viewer interest, but it is most assuredly NOT for everyone.
It's the talents of a truly wonderful supporting cast that make it worth sitting through. Kris Kristofferson has a charismatic, automatically ingratiating presence as the circus headmaster. The striking cult actress Susan Tyrrell is his minuscule wife, who fits in the palm of his hand. An eclectic bunch of actors were assembled for this: Terrence Mann, Albert Henderson, Mary Jackson, Frances Bay, Leo Gordon, Kenneth Tobey, Jay Robinson, Franco Columbu, Matthias Hues, Benicio del Toro (making his film debut, buried under dog-face makeup by Greg Cannom), Kevin Peter Hall, Lynne Marie Stewart. Amusingly enough, a very young Dustin Diamond is also in this.
Reubens also wrote the script (with George McGrath), and produced (with Debra Hill). It's not as inspired as the one he wrote with Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol for "Big Adventure", failing to come up with many truly good laughs. There IS one truly gut busting moment, however, when he recalls a famous sequence from "Big Adventure" quite late in the picture.
Not all that "good", but hard to just dismiss offhand, just the same.
Six out of 10.
"Big Top Pee-wee" is definitely a curiosity. It's not going to appeal to people who enjoyed the sometimes darker, more subversive tone of the first Pee-wee film. It plays more like a standard family film, complete with endearing animals. That said, it has its very offbeat, more adult moments, like an old lady making a reference to bulimia, or Pee-wee making "train through the tunnel" comments, etc. Add to this the conventional romantic subplot with Pee-wee becoming seriously smitten with star trapeze artist Gina (the very sexy Valeria Golino, in the role that officially introduced her), and you have a comedy with something of an identity crisis. Like this viewer said, it's certainly odd enough to maintain some viewer interest, but it is most assuredly NOT for everyone.
It's the talents of a truly wonderful supporting cast that make it worth sitting through. Kris Kristofferson has a charismatic, automatically ingratiating presence as the circus headmaster. The striking cult actress Susan Tyrrell is his minuscule wife, who fits in the palm of his hand. An eclectic bunch of actors were assembled for this: Terrence Mann, Albert Henderson, Mary Jackson, Frances Bay, Leo Gordon, Kenneth Tobey, Jay Robinson, Franco Columbu, Matthias Hues, Benicio del Toro (making his film debut, buried under dog-face makeup by Greg Cannom), Kevin Peter Hall, Lynne Marie Stewart. Amusingly enough, a very young Dustin Diamond is also in this.
Reubens also wrote the script (with George McGrath), and produced (with Debra Hill). It's not as inspired as the one he wrote with Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol for "Big Adventure", failing to come up with many truly good laughs. There IS one truly gut busting moment, however, when he recalls a famous sequence from "Big Adventure" quite late in the picture.
Not all that "good", but hard to just dismiss offhand, just the same.
Six out of 10.