I just saw this for the first time tonight, having wanted to see it since it was released in theaters back in the 80's. Talk about a long wait! I spent the entire movie flip-flopping between being shocked and awed. I was awed at the scenario Pee Wee is simply dumped into, having woken up from an over-the-top dream, into an even bigger and more unbelievable circumstance. Then I was summarily shocked by him jumping on Penelope Ann Miller! His talking pig, a circus literally blowing into town and the ringmaster's minuscule mate all provide a zany background to further contrast Pee Wee's oddly adult, "normal" behavior.
The movie plays upon all we know/knew about the character and goes out of its way to misdirect and surprise with virtually every scene. Pee Wee instantly matures into a tender lover (when meeting his true love and 'following his heart'), and ultimately Pee Wee gets engaged to be married. In the previous movie, the Pee Wee we all knew spurns Dottie's advances much as a twelve-year-old would. Pee Wee's late-bloom puberty is creepy but mostly benign, manifested by a hair fetish, the allegorical "hot dog tree" he's cultivating, and of course numerous obligatory references to intercourse (both verbal and visual).
After spending an hour and a half watching him chase his bike, I was ready for this change in pace. This sequel deserves credit at the very LEAST for breaking the sequel syndrome and refusing to poop out another silly romp. And at BEST it can be described as whirlwind hour-and-a-half search for Pee Wee Herman's masculine identity.
That's not to say that it was masterfully done. One must forgive the long cuts, boring "walking" scenes and unnecessary scenes which make this seem almost like an extended second unit director's cut of what could have been a nice hour-long movie. Still it was good fun, and some of the long cuts really worked...such as in the kissing scene by the waterfall. Pee Wee and Gina's snog stretches the premise past the point of shock, into humor, then into disbelief, and again back into humor at the sheer audacity of the cut length. But with other scenes, such as the cheese sandwich scene - the humor just never seems to gel.
It seemed Paul Reubens knew with this script that it would be his last shot at working a different angle of his definitive character. Paul had outgrown Pee Wee as an actor, and even if this movie was somehow destined to be a runaway success and more were commissioned, I'm sure he'd pass. What else is there to tell about Pee Wee after the man-child matures? I'm sure it was something of a metamorphosis for Paul, personally.
I was happy with this movie, and saw it with the same adult eyes as I had seen tapes of the old stage show: long AFTER having seen Playhouse and Big Adventure in my childhood. Even though the roots for the character were more bawdy back in Paul's improv days, my introduction to the character was at its most innocent on Saturday morning TV. This movie served to really complete and close a story to me, in a satisfying and FUNNY way.
Plus, Dustin Diamond. WTF? :)
The movie plays upon all we know/knew about the character and goes out of its way to misdirect and surprise with virtually every scene. Pee Wee instantly matures into a tender lover (when meeting his true love and 'following his heart'), and ultimately Pee Wee gets engaged to be married. In the previous movie, the Pee Wee we all knew spurns Dottie's advances much as a twelve-year-old would. Pee Wee's late-bloom puberty is creepy but mostly benign, manifested by a hair fetish, the allegorical "hot dog tree" he's cultivating, and of course numerous obligatory references to intercourse (both verbal and visual).
After spending an hour and a half watching him chase his bike, I was ready for this change in pace. This sequel deserves credit at the very LEAST for breaking the sequel syndrome and refusing to poop out another silly romp. And at BEST it can be described as whirlwind hour-and-a-half search for Pee Wee Herman's masculine identity.
That's not to say that it was masterfully done. One must forgive the long cuts, boring "walking" scenes and unnecessary scenes which make this seem almost like an extended second unit director's cut of what could have been a nice hour-long movie. Still it was good fun, and some of the long cuts really worked...such as in the kissing scene by the waterfall. Pee Wee and Gina's snog stretches the premise past the point of shock, into humor, then into disbelief, and again back into humor at the sheer audacity of the cut length. But with other scenes, such as the cheese sandwich scene - the humor just never seems to gel.
It seemed Paul Reubens knew with this script that it would be his last shot at working a different angle of his definitive character. Paul had outgrown Pee Wee as an actor, and even if this movie was somehow destined to be a runaway success and more were commissioned, I'm sure he'd pass. What else is there to tell about Pee Wee after the man-child matures? I'm sure it was something of a metamorphosis for Paul, personally.
I was happy with this movie, and saw it with the same adult eyes as I had seen tapes of the old stage show: long AFTER having seen Playhouse and Big Adventure in my childhood. Even though the roots for the character were more bawdy back in Paul's improv days, my introduction to the character was at its most innocent on Saturday morning TV. This movie served to really complete and close a story to me, in a satisfying and FUNNY way.
Plus, Dustin Diamond. WTF? :)