By Mark Saldana
Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars)
Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) is back with a new feature film full of adventure, excitement and intrigue. Pee-Wee may be just a simple, small-town boy living the quiet life, but a fateful encounter with a fascinating out-of-towner (Joe Manganiello) inspires him to hit the road and explore life outside of his protective bubble. Pee-Wee experiences that and much more, especially after he crosses paths with a trio of criminals (Jessica Pohly, Stephanie Beatriz, Alia Shawkat).
Written by Paul Reubens, Paul Rust and directed by John Lee, Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday is a fun and zany new adventure for fans of the character. The plot and story are pretty thin, but Lee, Reuben, and Rust deliver imaginative and often hilarious gags throughout the movie. The real breakout star of the film has to be Joe Manganiello who reveals a boisterous and charming inner child through his character in the film. I’d love to say more about his role, but spoiling it would definitely take away from the fun. Producer Judd Apatow, Reubens, Paul Rust, and director John Lee presented the film at SXSW to a joyous audience at the Paramount Theater and their fans showed them a lot of love in return.
Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday is currently available for viewing via Netflix Streaming.