Among the many laugh-inducing scenes in the new Netflix original film Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, one particularly stands out: Pee-wee Herman (played by Paul Reubens) is out on a journey to reconnect with a friend (a hunky Joe Manganiello) in New York City and Pee-wee finds himself in Amish country where he’s asked what he does for fun. To answer, he pulls out a balloon and blows it up so big he gets dizzy, then for longer than two minutes he slowly releases the air from the balloon, half flatulence, half musical instrument. We’re not sure what the Amish reaction is, but in the end, they roar with joy.

It’s hard to imagine that scene not feeling particularly good for both Herman and Reubens. It took practically two decades for Pee-wee to receive a second chance after an embarrassing adult theater situation, which he was arrested for but still contests. Maybe it’s the culture at large forgiving and forgetting what we believed to be a transgression; maybe it’s America’s softening its hard stance against its queer citizens. Either way, Paul Reubens and Pee-wee Herman are back and, just as the Amish in that scene reacted, we’re all grateful for it.

But why are we grateful? For me, the world of Pee-wee Herman can’t be replicated and yet it’s so necessary. It takes Reubens to be at the center, which we were without for so long (it has been reported that no studio would pick up the script for Holiday). Until now there was no new Pee-wee to enjoy, no fresh take on the world he’d created, one that’s diverse, kitschy and campy. A world where one wakes up and goes through a Rube Goldberg-like sequence only to be bounced into a tiny car that shoots a ball hitting and stirring an apple tree of its fruit, which fall into the driver’s lap.

It’s also a world rich with body positivity, acceptance, and a world where every ethnic background is welcomed. And it’s a world where Pee-wee himself drinks tiny sips of root beer from tiny candy root beer barrels through a tiny white and red wax straw. What’s not to like?

The plot of the movie, like the plots of all the Pee-wee movies, doesn’t much matter. It’s the details and the dalliance with the universe itself that’s central. But just to keep track, the plot of Holiday revolves around a journey: to get to NYC for a party. Along the way, the movie hits familiar notes: excursions in odd modes of transportation, farms, busty women trying to take advantage of an uninterested Pee-wee. The scenes, overall, are full of laughs though occasionally the movie drags on and Reubens’ inability to hit the high notes on the signature Pee-wee laugh is noticable – but again, who cares? As Seattle artist, moviemaker and film lover, Jessica Aceti, put it, “As a superfan, thank you Netflix!”

In some ways, Holiday is a lot like the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens. All the audience wanted was to be back in that world one more time. To feel its twists, to remember its familiarity. Just as, I Imagine, Reubens himself wanted to be back in that grey suit, red bowtie, making symphonic fart noises from a blown up balloon.

Watch the clip here:

Special bonus guest comments from Seattle writer and Pee-wee superfan Adrian Ryan: 

What was good: The movie is more of a museum piece than it is a continuation of the Pee-wee story. In fact, his previous movies are completely wiped out in this version of the Pee-wee-verse when Pee-wee claims that the only time he’d ever left his small town was an ill-fated trip to Salt Lake. What happened to his big adventure? They just erased it…

Constant obvious and hidden references made the film, including how it follows the structure of the original…it begins with a dream, launches into the hydraulic madness of his breakfast routine (with him merely taking a single bite of it at the end) to his deft evasion of the romantic advances of an interested female, to a whacky encounter with a novelty salesman…all repeated elements which harkened back to the beloved original.

Pee-wee effectively came out. There is far more to his feelings for Joe Mangelblahblah than innocent friendship, and it’s obvious. His little peck on the lips to the girl Pee-wee that he meets does zero to contradict the obvious homoerotic overtones.

His high-pitched scream will go down in history.

What was bad: Pee-wee seems to have grown a bit bitter and mean. When he insults, there is no trademark whimsy or élan—he moved to demean and seriously cut. It’s a crueler, darker Pee-wee. He needs less Elaine Stritch and more Kimmy Schmidt.

It seems shallow and mean, but his voice is toast. The vocal fry is real—he can’t even hit the high or low ranges of his signature vocal affectations, and settles into a rather painful growl. It pulled my focus and stripped it of some of the magic.

However, it was definitely a worthwhile venture, and worth watching, if not worth falling in love with a securing to your heart with hoops of steel, as Pee-wee’s Big Adventure was. It was fun and delightful, but just didn’t pack the same punch.