Pee-wee as Himself

It might not have worked out exactly the way Reubens wanted, but Pee-wee as Himself does bring that message ["was based in love, and my desire to entertain and bring glee and creativity to young people and to everyone"] to long-time fans as well as future ones, who will hopefully be able to appreciate what Reubens gave us while he was still here.

Wolf seems to have accomplished what he set out to do, getting to know the purposefully enigmatic guy behind the character—at least as much as anyone reasonably could—and earning some of his trust. That Pee-wee As Himself doesn’t end there but with colorful bursts of joy, wonder, and appreciation for the work Reubens left behind speaks volumes.

In the end, if “As Himself” is necessarily incomplete, it stands as a tribute to Reubens’s genius and complexity. It lets the boy we all knew be joined by the man who — however ambivalently — wished we could have known him better.

It is fascinating. And Reubens is a magnet for the camera. Even sitting there talking, you can’t take your eyes off him.

Watching Wolf and Reubens push and pull their way through the impact of this wildly talented and complicated man makes for rich, rewarding television. It’s a reminder that this was a bottomless well of talent that just happened to live in both Paul and Pee-Wee.

A joyous and melancholy portrait of the push-pull between the private and the public, the real and the unreal, and the desire to hide and to be seen.

It’s probably not the doc HBO and Wolf likely originally envisioned. But documentary filmmaking is a process of discovery, so good on Wolf for embracing Reuben’s wariness and integrating the doubt into the fabric of Pee-Wee’s complicated and engaging personal story.

Pee-wee as Himself is a beautiful tribute that seeks to hone in on Reubens' complex private life, delivering insights far beyond anything he shared over his lengthy career. The editing perfectly frames the story, while ensuring the color, noise, and wacky nature of the man are not absent.

Wolf’s two-part film does justice to its subject’s thoroughly sui generis artistry — a rare blend of experimental performance, broad comedy and high, queer camp that caught imaginations of all ages — while giving due scrutiny to the off-screen legal troubles that unfairly threw his career off-course.

It’s a rewarding tour of the life and career of a person who long remained private about things that weren’t really anybody’s business, yet one day decided to talk about (some of) them, and had much to say about the things he shared with everyone.

Slightly less buoyant [than "Pee-wee's Playhouse"] is “Pee-wee as Himself,” director Matt Wolf’s biography of the childlike character’s creator and alter ego, Paul Reubens, although revisiting the television show—its creation, construction and cast—is a delight. So are the clips and photos tracking the actor’s life and career.

Wolf has made a documentary that stands up well alongside HBO’s recent run of “Difficult Funny Men” documentaries focused on the likes of Garry Shandling and George Carlin. As seen here, Reubens was difficult and welcoming, juvenile and reflective, brilliant and flawed, and I’m betting an entirely different documentary could have been made about him as an entirely different person, which only adds to the fascination.

Fascinating, incomplete, portrait of a man of mystery.

It’s an unusually thoughtful, provocative and honest. .... The first part of “Pee-wee as Himself” is stronger than the second. .... But the film manages to maintain the constant push-pull between Reubens’ desire for success and his longing for something resembling a private life.

Overall, “Pee-wee as Himself” is a worthwhile documentary for fans of Pee-wee Herman and for folks who want to know more. But even at its most entertaining, it can be an emotionally difficult viewing experience.

If there’s a disappointment, it’s that Reubens doesn’t open up more about his feelings during the scandalous times. .... What “Pee-wee as Himself” does provide is a look at the building blocks that made the quirky character.

Wolf shot 40 hours of interviews and had access to countless photographs, hours of archival footage, and more. He assembles the content shrewdly, making the first part which traces the rise of Reubens, great fun. .... Difficult episodes in Reubens’ life are shoehorned into the film’s last half hour and show how Reubens once again lost control but found resilience.