Ernest in Afrika

ERNEST GOES TO AFRICA is the BEST ERNEST movie since ERNEST GOES TO JAIL. I mean, Each ERNEST flick was worth watching just to see the multi-talented Jim Varney playing loveable goofball ERNEST P. WORRELL... but when it comes to the most laughs, AFRICA is one of the best. Perhaps one of the funniest moments I have ever seen in an ERNEST flick was in this one where he walks up to an African tribe with the woman he longs for and says, "Let me take care of this, You have to know how to talk to these people!" He then proceeds to talk some Ernest Jibberish for a few seconds until the tribe leader knocks him out with his cane! Simply Hilarious!!! Even the very opening of the film where ERNEST mimics a bunch of Animals with his rubberface and funny voices will have you laughing from the get-go! I sure am gonna miss seeing any new goofy hijinx for our good buddy ERNEST. Star, Jim Varney was sadly taken from this lifetime too early at the age of 50 due to Lung Cancer. Thankfully his performances will Live on Forever on DVD! I think John Cherry and Coke Sams need to make the 10th and Final ERNEST Film: ERNEST GOES TO HEAVEN which would be a bio-pic about the real life of the man who played our good buddy Ernest. God Bless ya Jim!

Man, why did I rent this movie! While Hey You the Hindu was great and the story reeked of typical Ernest proportions, this film should have never been made. Sometimes stupidity takes a backseat to nostalgia, but from now on, I'm listening to my gut more often. What a pitiful movie to watch, one which didn't need to be the swan song of Jim Varney and his lovable character Ernest P. Worrell. The story was horrible, it was slow and dull, and the film stock clearly indicated the series had hit rock bottom. What a sad waste.

My head hurts, not because this ,movie is so incredibly bad that it defies belief, but because there actually people who think that it is a good movie! I really can't recall ever seeing a movie as bad as this, but I'm sure there must be others out there.

I just can't help feeling sorry for people who think that rubbish like this is worth the time and effort to even make, let alone watch. Good comedy this is not. It's so bad that it makes some REALLY poor comedy offerings look good! It guess some 8 year-olds somewhere might find it funny, but how any adult can possibly find this tripe funny enough to watch all the way through escapes me. I have watched quite a few bad comedies for longer than I should have, in the vain hope that they might improve, but this is in a class all its own! One or two references to other movies evoke a smile, but a gut wrenching laugh is out of the question watching this embarrassing attempt at humour.

Actually feel quite bad for saying this and criticising 'Ernest Goes to Africa', because this is coming from somebody, who while acknowledging that they had faults and were not great films, actually enjoyed most of the 'Ernest' films in a guilty pleasure sort of way and made a conscious effort to take them for what they are. Felt somewhat nervous reviewing the film and criticising it.

Mainly because of people getting the wrong idea about me. Am a long way from a detractor, a defender if anything, and actually wanted to like 'Ernest Goes to Africa' having liked all the theatrically released films while being a little harsher on the straight to video outings. Regardless of the critical reception for all the films being near-universally negative, while being more positively received by audiences. But partly because of the trend for critics to be bashed, with anybody offering as much as a criticism for any of the films being at the risk of being shouted down and made to feel that they're wrong, let alone dislike it.

This sort of attitude reeks of arrogance and has gotten significantly worse in recent years. Usually try to refrain from saying this or bringing this up, but this is becoming increasingly annoying, whatever has happened to respecting people's opinions regardless of whether you agree or disagree. It really isn't that hard to do.

Back to reviewing 'Ernest Goes to Africa'. 'Ernest Goes to Africa' is not without redeeming qualities, none of the 'Ernest' films, even the weaker ones, are unsalvageable. The best things about it are the music and Jim Varney. The music is full of rocking energy and affectionate nostalgia and really adds a great deal to the action in the film. It's hard still not to relate to Ernest, the sort of character that is a well-intended serial bumbler with a well-meaning big strong heart but always finding himself messing up without intention.

Varney is fun and likable in the role, to me there is enough freshness in the interpretation to not make it too tired or endless mugging and his performance does give the film much needed energy. A few parts are funny, personally liked the beginning and thought the highlights were the tribe scene and the character of Hey You.

However, faring worst are the story and Linda Kash. Even for an 'Ernest' film, where the story was never a strong suit, as well as being the thinnest story of the series, the story in 'Ernest Goes to Africa' is the series at its dumbest, most muddled and dullest, with a real lack of momentum due to some scenes (such as the over-stretched and poorly staged chases) going on for far too long. Complete with a ludicrously contrived ending that belongs more in a badly done cartoon. Kash has the single most annoying character of the whole series, especially in her treatment of Ernest who really did not deserve how she treated him, and she is atrociously irritating in the part.

The supporting cast are no better, with the villains being non-threatening and their actions are silly and repetitive. Varney is the sole bright spot in the acting stakes. 'Ernest Goes to Africa' is really not written well at all either. The humour works a few times but they only happen in glimpsing flashes rather than as an overall whole. Nobody expects a sophisticated script in an 'Ernest' film, that was well established with as far back as 'Ernest Goes to Camp' (that's right the one that started it all off) and it's like expecting a porn star to have acting talent. The script however is truly infantile with constant groans and head shakes than laughter, hearing some of it is enough to make one feel like their IQ has significantly dropped.

Likewise with the gags, which suffer from being childish and contrived and from lack of momentum from some going on too long. Pacing is dull and makes the short running time feel longer, while the direction is just as dull and bordering on ineptly clumsy. 'Ernest Goes to Africa' is the cheapest-looking of a series that have always been clearly low budget (though the theatrically released films didn't fare anywhere near as badly as the straight to video ones), the scenery looks fake and the camera work. One doesn't expect such low quality for a film from the late 90s with film-making generally become significantly advanced technically when done right overtime.

Overall, disappointing and to me the weakest of the 'Ernest' films. 4/10 Bethany Cox

I saw this film when it came out in '97. I was in third grade at the time and was attracted to a new Ernest adventure. Even at age nine, I found it an unfunny, complete waste of time. I wasn't a hard kid to please- nine year olds usually aren't, but it was a bad sign when lovable and hilarious Jim Varney as Ernest P. Whorrol couldn't get much of a reaction of me.

Last Thanksgiving, I was looking through the TV guide and found that "Ernest Goes to Africa" was on USA at two in the morning. It was a lonely, secluded slot and I decided to give it some company. Then fifteen, I just wanted a smile and an hour and half of entertainment. My judgement hadn't changed in five years and I constantly flipped channels, but for whatever reason this one had me coming back.

You see, there is some kind of odd magic about this film that drew me in for some reason. Maybe it's Varney's presence...maybe its the wonder of generic, late night USA, but whatever it is, I would actually recommend watching "Ernest Goes to Africa".

The story is predictably trite. Owing oh so much to `Raiders of the Lost Ark' the plot involves the theft of priceless jewels, the Eyes of Agolie, being stolen from a worshipping tribe by ruthless archaeologist Mr. Thompson. They inadvertently end up at a flea market where Ernest finds them and makes a yo-yo out of them. (Quick criticism, these jewels look completely like plastic…it seems like director John Cherry III didn't even try). With Ernest's beloved Rene, a waitress who is `sick of hometown ordinary ‘shmoes', he is kidnapped out of suspicion and ends up fleeing Thompson and his goons in a series of scenes that become more and more unwatchable in a downward spiral.

There are some honestly terrible scenes that will no doubt repel you. It starts off on the wrong foot with a desperate opener where Varney tries and tries with his large amount of comedic skill to bring out laughs with his reactions to different African artifacts, but the scene fatally doesn't work. Jim is brilliant at Ernest, but in this unrelated beginning he feels like some goofy friend trying to bring out a laugh when your in a mood incapable of letting you smile.

The film has even more to complain about. It is shot on a pretty cheap-looking video that may turn you off right off the bat. It seems every actor present besides Varney is either a bad one, or just an irritating one- especially Linda Kash as Rene. The traditional Ernest gags like the cranky granny have finally become tried thanks to Cherry's dull direction this time. He has a noticeable boundary between live-action cartoon and adventure film, and it is painful when frequently crossed. This is by any definition an uneven film due to this boundary.

OK enough smushing this film; that is too easy of a task. Liking it is a hard one, but I challenge you to attempt it. This film has a great asset: how much fun it is to hate it. If you don't feel the compelling magic I felt to watch it, then I recommend it for this pleasurable bashing, even if you are not a cynic.

The bottom line here, `Ernest Goes to Africa' starts of catastrophic, flattens even more in the middle and has an unpredictably unsatisfying ending, but if this comedic adventure isn't somehow an escape from boring old life, then I don't know what is. I recommend renting this bad film, staying up late, and letting it take you out of your head for an hour and a half.