(Archive April 2016) Review of Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday

By Jason Greenough | Arts & Entertainment Editor

If you know me, you may know of my love for Pee-Wee Herman.

I grew up watching Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, and Big Top Pee-Wee with my Brother, and the Pee-Wee Christmas special we owned on VHS is close to its demise thanks to our incessant desire to watch it again and again. It’s safe to say that Paul Reubens’ brainchild that originated as a character in his, how you would say nowadays, “NSFW” stand-up comedy routine, was a big part of the cultural exposure of my childhood. All of this paved the way for an excitement comparable to a small kid on Christmas morning, for the release of Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday, the newest installment of the Pee-Wee Empire, and one of the newest Netflix originals.

The opening scene of Big Holiday brought back so many feelings of nostalgia and youth, adopting the same quirky childish antics that graced the beginning of Big Adventure back in 1985, and for a moment, it seemed as if the Pee-Wee magic had been re-captured. It was, but it didn’t feel the same. I guess that’s a good thing, showing Producer Judd Apatow’s ability to take an already shiny pearl, and make it even shinier.

The blueprint is almost identical to Adventure, where the naïve goofball with the trademark red bowtie gets into trouble, and is lead on a crazy journey to escape it. But, it’s still genius in its own right.

With a wonderful supporting cast, including Joe Manganiello, Jessica Pohly, and Richard Riehle, Reubens masterfully recreates the magic that gave so many millennials a really weird sense of humor. If you have Netflix, I fully suggest you check this out if you want to feel that familiar feeling of belly laughter and quirky mischief. All the while, at the same time, I must say the one downside I felt brought it down a rung the whole length of the film was the speed in which the story unfolded. I honestly feel it a bit too slow to fully hold my attention, even with it being like looking into a time machine of my own past.

But, the beauty of this is, you can check it out for yourself and form your own opinion on it.

So, do the “Tequila” dance over to your computer, smartphone, Smart TV, or whatever futuristic spaceman device you use to play movies and TV shows nowadays, and check out Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday. I can honestly say with confidence that even if you aren’t a big fan of Pee-Wee Herman to begin with, this will leave you laughing and wanting more Pee-Wee.