Ernest (Ranked & Reviewed)
Transcribed directly from an audio recording
If you grew up in the late eighties or early nineties, Ernest P. Worrell was certainly part of your childhood. I had a chance to watch Ernest Goes to Jail the other night and I was reminded of how funny he could be with his various accents, facial expressions, body movements and so on. He really reminds me of The Little Tramp, the character famously played by Charles Chaplin. The popularity of Ernest is definitely polarizing. Some people absolutely love him and some people can’t stand him in the slightest. When speaking to people around the world, I get a mixed response to the franchise and his character. There is no denying, however, how much Ernest was a part of mine and my friend’s childhood. Given my personal adoration for the Ernest film franchise, I thought this would be a good chance to rate his ten films from worst to best with a quick note about each. As a side note, Jim Varney has his handprints displayed at Disney and also has the distinction of winning the Razzie Award for Worst New Star to only one year later, win the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer.
“What is an Ernest you may ask? A man both rich in history and tradition”.
Do you love Ernest as well? Which are some of your favourite Ernest films?
Number 10 is Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam.
This is the first film to include Ernest P. Worrell which came out in 1986. This film is a little darker than the rest of the series and many fans don’t actually include this on their list of Ernest films due to the fact that Ernest isn’t necessarily the main character. This film is certainly the least known film in the franchise. The greatest aspect of this film, however, is that Jim Varney is able to stretch his legs as the character as well as several others. We are able to get our first glimpse of Auntie Nelda on film and some other famous tropes that would become popular in the Ernest franchise. For context, Ernest was created by an advertising agency and used for a series of commercials and local television ads. His popularity led to the film series and his popularity increased drastically from there.
Number 9 is Ernest Goes to Africa.
This is a direct-to-video release and the second last film in the Ernest franchise, released in 1997. As an interesting side note, the entire film was shot in Johannesburg, South Africa. The film garnered negative reviews and currently holds a twenty-nine percent of Rotten Tomatoes. Many fans felt that the series was becoming quite ridiculous in placing Ernest in his next adventures. Ernest Goes to Africa tends to be quite low on most fan's top ten list.
Number 8 is Slam Dunk Ernest.
This is the third and final film in the franchise. It was filmed in Vancouver, Canada and released in 1995. The film features Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as a basketball angel. The premise is interesting enough, but many fans of the series were beleaguered with the series of direct-to-video releases often mentioning that the quality of films and plots had gone down significantly from Ernest’s heyday.
Number 7 is Ernest in the Army.
This is the tenth and final appearance of Ernest P. Worrell. Jim Varney, unfortunately, died in February 2000 from lung cancer a couple of years after this film was released in 1998. I’m glad that Ernest’s last appearance isn’t his worst outing. After the critical and financial failure of Ernest Rides Again, every subsequent film was released direct-to-video. In my estimation, this is the second-best of the four direct-to-video released films. This film was shot in Cape Town, South Africa. Many fans consider this an adequate finale to the franchise, which is, at the very least, a positive note.
Number 6 is Ernest Rides Again.
This film was released in 1993 and was the first Ernest film to be filmed in Vancouver, Canada. Many consider this the film that killed the beloved franchise. Its budget was over seven million but it grossed just slightly higher than one million making this film a complete box office bomb. Consequently, this was the last released Ernest film to hit the cinema. The plot is interesting enough, but from this film forward, we saw diminishing critical and fan admiration.
Number 5 is Ernest Goes to School.
This film was released in 1994 and was the second Ernest film to be filmed in Vancouver, Canada. Ernest Goes to School actually has a relatively interesting plot. The film explores the concept of what would happen if Ernest miraculously gained superior intelligence. This was the first film in the Ernest series to be released on direct-to-video and also features Will Sasso in his first film role.
Number 4 is Ernest Saves Christmas.
Released in 1988, this film is considered by many as part of their Christmas film collection due to its endearing storyline and the fact that it includes Ernest. This is one of the more fantastical plots in the franchise and the effects are quite hokey, but it’s no denying that this film is, at the very least, fun and good-spirited. It features Douglas Seale as Santa Claus and was one of the first-ever films to be filmed completing in Orlando, Florida at the then unfinished Disney-MGM studios. It made approximately twenty-eight million compared to its five and a half million dollar budget and who doesn’t love Ernest’s “O Christmas Tree” song.
Number 3 is Ernest Scared Stupid.
This is a great Halloween film and many fans rank this film in their top three Ernest films. The effects are actually quite decent for a film released in 1991 with a smaller budget. It eventually grossed around fourteen million. It was the final film released under the Disney label Touchstone Pictures. All future films were independently produced. The opening clip shows a variety of clips from notorious horror and science fiction films, which many consider to be the best opening clip in the franchise. The film even features Eartha Kitt as “Old Lady” Hackmore. The Ernest “Miak” line is iconic and still quoted by many today.
Number 2 is Ernest Goes to Jail.
Ernest Goes to Jail came out in 1990 and was filmed almost entirely in Nashville, Tennessee and is the second most successful Ernest film behind Ernest Saves Christmas. It grossed over twenty-five million and made back its budget in the first weekend of release. The fact that Jim Varney is able to play both the villain Nash and our main hero Ernest, as well as several other characters, is iconic. Randall “Tex” Cobb makes an appearance as Lyle and veteran actor Charles Napier plays Warden Carmichael. The scene featuring Ernest getting prepared for his date is classic.
Number 1 is Ernest Goes to Camp.
This is the first Ernest film released by Touchstone Pictures which came out in 1987. The film made twenty-three million on a three million dollar budget. It was the second film in the franchise to feature Ernest P. Worrell and for many, the first true film to feature Ernest. It features Iron Eyes Cody’s final film appearance and was filmed almost exclusively in Montgomery Bell State Park. This film is not only a box office success but it also holds an impressive eighty-two percent on Rotten Tomatoes making this the highest-rated film in the franchise. This is the one that started it all and was the best the series had to offer. It is funny, touching, nostalgic and brilliant.
