Ernest in the Army

Have made it quite a few times clear of enjoying, while acknowledging they had faults, most of the 'Ernest' films in a guilty pleasure sort of way (if more the theatrically released ones than the straight to video ones). Also to liking the character of Ernest.

To me, the best 'Ernest' films are 'Saves Christmas', 'Goes to Jail', 'Scared Stupid' and 'Goes to Camp', 'Rides Again' also had its fun elements. While they weren't great films and had their faults, they entertained and it was easier to take them for what they set out to do. The straight to video films were less good, not terrible but visibly looked cheaper, the humour became much more inconsistent, the stories thinner and more contrived and the silliness got too much at times too. From personal opinion, the two weakest of the 'Ernest' films are 'Goes to Africa' and 'In the Army'.

'Ernest in the Army' has redeeming qualities, all of the 'Ernest' films did regardless of the near-universal critical mauling all of them get. 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, especially with the gummy bears, the pancake and the electric fence.

However, the supporting cast don't really give very much and some are moronically annoying in their overwrought-ness (though not Linda Kash in 'Goes to Africa' annoying). The story is just as thin, dumb and dull as the one in 'Goes to Africa', and also suffers from a tacked on subplot with the kid and sentimentality that is too hard to stomach (this element usually has a lot of heart in the 'Ernest' films, here it was overkill).

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 witlessly 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. It's also one of the cheaper-looking of the series, especially in some amateurish camera work.

Overall, one of the weaker 'Ernest' films and not a good note to go out on. 4/10 Bethany Cox

With only the vaguest semblance of a reason, Ernest is now in the Army, free to muck about in the sands of some weirdly ethnic Araby, a grotesque parody of the Persian Gulf and Somalia. He'll try to befriend an orphan lad, try to get the girl and basically hold together an uneasy mix of atrocious and overwrought acting, poorly-thought-out overlong comedy bits and a bizarre combination of stereotypes and weird, early-90's media. There's something just not right about the whole venture, but in defiance of the will of God - our just and terrible God - you'll pull through and watch the film to its inevitable conclusion. Because it's Ernest and you like Ernest.

After watching Ernest Goes to Africa, I never felt another Ernest movie would come out. What a visceral surprise to see this movie on the video shelves. Moronic and only occasionally funny, I was surprised they didn't do an Ernest in Space or something like that. Jim Varney should have stepped in and said something before this movie was made. I mean, if he was that hard up for money, why couldn't he ask the loyal Ernest fans of the world to help him. A sad pitiful chapter in the life of Ernest P. Worrel.

This is the last of the many Ernest movies and I'm surprised that the only one I saw before was "Ernest Saves Christmas". It's kind of a shame as that was probably the best in the whole series. The Ernest P. Warrell character started out doing commercials and they made a lot movie series out of him. As you might have guessed, it's really hard to stretch a character that was funny in a few commercials into an entire length of movies. Even sketch comedy doesn't work as badly as that. It's mostly just nothing but childish jokes.

It was actually weird to see a 1998 movie about fighting in the Middle East. It actually makes me weirdly nostalgic for that time period pre 911 when there wasn't really a major threat like communism or terrorism. I guess there was still warfare and there always will be. The kid and woman character in the film honestly don't do that bad of a job. Ernest would have been funny as like a side character but to make entire movies focused on him is annoying. At least we got that great Santa. *1/2

"Ernest in the Army" should have been hilarious, but sadly, it doesn't feel like a movie about him, just an army movie that happens to have Ernest in it. It's okay, not a major letdown, but you'd think a comedy about a bumbling idiot in the Army, especially when it's Ernest P. Worrell, would be a laugh riot. That is not the case. Sure, it has some predictably funny moments, but they are few and far between. Even the army itself (as depicted in this film) just feels very ordinary. The dramatic subplot involving the black street kid is unnecessary and feels tacked-on.

** out of ****