Review of Ernest Saves Christmas

First off R.I.P Jim Varney. Jim Varney was the Charles Chaplin of the 1980's & early 1990's. Jim Varney's goofy alter ego, Ernest was famous for his trademark slapstick humor, countless Bugs Bunny type dress up egos, and dumb humor. Despite, Ernest being nearly stupid, Jim Varney, the actor was a high IQ man. Jim Varney was also a serious Shakespearian actor. He was phenomenal and much admired in the 'circle' of Shakespeare, on a par with Sir Lawrence Olivier.. He said he loved playing Ernest because it was (for him) the direct opposite of doing Shakespeare. Ernest first made his mark doing commericals for nearly everything, it was his work with Coca-Cola that allow the Christmas ad's in the opening of the film. It opens up with Santa Claus (Douglas Seale) arrived at the Orlando Airport. Douglas Seale has one of the sweetest voices, and it's works for being Santa Claus. Ernest P. Worrell works as a taxi driver, and picks him up. Santa Claus is on his way to get a local celebrity Joe Carruthers to be new Santa Claus due to Douglas thinking of retiring. While they are driving, a runaway teenage girl (Noelle Parker) calling herself Harmony Starr joins Ernest and Santa in the cab. Harmony is a horrible character, who lies non-stop on end. However on Christmas eve, her conscience prevails and she reforms her ways. Ernest drops him off to meet Joe, but Ernest discovers that Santa left his magic sack behind in the cab, and Ernest begins a quest to find the old man and return it to him. There is a number of cool scenes in the movie that show Jim Varney's work, one is the POV Vern's house which pays tribute to the original commercials that first introduced Ernest, the audience never sees Vern's face. The other is when Ernest poses as Astor Clementh, an employee of the governor and Harmony as the governor's niece Mindy, and the two help Santa escape from jail when Santa got himself locked up by Joe's boss. The other is when Ernest disguises himself as an Apopka snake rancher (Lloyd Worrell from Knowhutimean? Hey Vern, It's my Family Album) who sneaks Santa into a movie studio to find Joe again. There are also supporting cast from his TV show days, as Chuck and Bobby (Gailard Sartain & Bill Byrge) that serves as sub-plot as two airport workers trying to control Santa's reindeer. The movie has a strong Christmas theme and the humor will keep a range of ages entertained nonetheless. Ernest is funny without using sex. Ernest also use little violence and harsh language. Very heartwarming, and works for family events. The cut-backs of the film can be the over used of advertising in this movie and re-cuts of older commericals (good example: the pancake on parade), dodgy plot-points, and bad Christmas puns. Director John Cherry and Jim Varney made a good movie for such a low-budget and it's one of the last of the good Ernest movies. Yeah, the Ernest movies are pretty much the ultimate in guilty pleasure crapfests, but this brings out the Christmas spirit in all of us.