The 2016 Netflix movie starring Paul Reubens' Pee-wee Herman character. Much like Big Top Pee-wee, the movie deviates from directly continuing any plot from previous films or show.
The movie begins in Fairville, with Pee-wee's band breaking up and his feeling that he's obligated to stay in his hometown, when a motorcycle riding Joe Manganiello comes into the milkshake bar and immediately hits it off with Pee-wee. After some pushing from Joe, Pee-wee goes on holiday, and embarks in a cross-country adventure to go to Joe's birthday party, abandoning all responsibilities.
This ended up being the final Pee-wee Herman project prior to Reubens' passing from cancer in July of 2023.
This film provides Examples of:
- Ambiguously Gay: Pee-wee has always been somewhat flamboyant, but this movie is filled with nods to Pee-wee maybe being gay. One early exchange pokes fun at it:Joe Mangianello: "What about Magic Mike? Haven't you seen me in that?"Pee-wee: "You'd think so, but no."
- As Himself: Joe Manganiello, with a generous dollop of Adam Westing.
- Brick Joke: Penny King's confusion toward Pee-wee eating garnish, is brought back when Pee-wee starts garnishing dishes in Fairville. The metal plate in Pee-wee's head is used to save him from the well, and salted or honey-roasted peanuts is brought back in the same scene, as the moral lesson.
- Call-Back: Numerous to Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Big Top Pee-wee. Penny King quotes Pee-wee's favorite line from Pee-wee's Big Adventure, "Why don't you take a picture, it'll last longer!", Simone's "Au-revior Pee-wee!", Mickey's "Arrivederci, Pee-wee", more.
- Deadpan Snarker: Pee-wee is really snarky about how insanely weird the world is this time around.
- Digital De-Aging: Paul Reubens had a combination of digital and practical makeup effects applied to make himself appear no older than in the original movies, as he believed the character of Pee-wee shouldn't ever be thought of as getting old.
- Dream Intro: As tradition with Pee-wee movies, we start with an E.T. parody of all things.
- Funny Afro: The hairdressers have some insanely weird looking afros, then to be revealed that they unite into the United States.
- Funny Background Event: Everywhere in the movie, such as the arresting of the burglar trio immediately after Pee-wee says bye.
- Harmful to Hitchhikers: Pee-wee hitches a ride in a flying car, only for it to crash mere minutes later.
- Hurricane of Puns: The entirety of the movie is one big collection of puns. The scenes at the snake farm is just one rapid fire pun bonanza. Baby rattlers are the most dangerous because their venom is the strongest. cue Pee-wee looking into a box of baby's rattlers
- Inevitable Waterfall: Pee-wee lands in a river after the parasol breaks and grabs onto a log.
- Jump Scare: Subverted with a parody of the jump-scare attraction at the snake farm, and then pulling a real one on Pee-wee.
- Matchlight Danger Revelation: Pee-wee keeps seeing new things every time he lights a new match while trapped in the well.
- Overly Long Gag: Pee-wee showing the Amish what fun is, aka squeezing a balloon for a high-pitched whine, goes on for a fairly uncomfortable length of two minutes. Also seen when Pee-wee signs and initials the waiver multiple times before entering the snake farm.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Pee-wee escapes the wedding as a cowboy. Nobody questions why a midget cowboy and a paper-mache horse come out of a one person bathroom that Pee-wee just walked into.
- Rube Goldberg Device: Another Pee-wee movie tradition, this time the Rube Goldberg extends beyond his home and into the town. How Pee-wee's devices reset, nobody will ever know.
- Too Dumb to Live: Pee-wee picks up a group of women who literally just robbed a bank in front of him, and assumed they were in trouble.
