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.

In this Ernest film, Ernest has a job picking up golf balls, it's a crappy occupation (still, beats scrubbing toilets) but Ernest loves every minute of it, thanks to his vivid imagination that keeps him in his own little world where he pretends the golf balls are mines and he's a war hero of some kind. His buddy Ben tells him that if he joins the army (the reserves to be precise), he'll become "Army People" and therefore be able to drive big trucks, cars and other such vehicles without ever having to leave the base and go into actual combat. Ernest hesitates but eventually agrees and he is finally able to display his…ahem…impressive driving. Things take an unexpected turn for our pal when his group of reserves are to be sent to a small country, Karifistan, that's about to be invaded by an evil, golf-loving dictator. So Ernest soon finds himself in a foreign land having the biggest, most challenging adventure of his life. The film starts off with a narrator telling the tale of the legend of the "Great American Warrior" who will come and save the people of Karifistan. It's instantly obvious the "Hero" in question is none other than Ernest himself who, by the end of the film, conveniently saves everyone, gets rid of the bad guys and even gets the girl…well, sort of. Ernest in the Army may not be as funny as, say, Ernest Goes to Camp but it's certainly quite fun to watch. The highlights include an accident involving some out-of-control gummy bears, Ernest's original pancake recipe and his struggle with an electric fence. The rubber-faced Jim Varney is as good as ever, expect plenty of Jim Carrey-esquire facial madness and stupidly funny one-liners. Of course, the film itself is low budget, contains mediocre acting, writing and directing (even though there are some surprisingly OK moments) but when Ernest is on the screen you can't help but smile and who cares if a film is good or not as long as it's funny? Overall, "connoisseurs" of Jim Varney's works will find lots to enjoy here (I did), others will probably cringe a lot and let out a couple of tight farts, know what I mean? Ehehehe...

Wow!! I never thought they could pull off another good "Ernest" movie after that horrible "Ernest Goes To Africa", but they did. In this installment, Ernest P. Worrell is a nit wit recruit in the army who goes to the front lines, and of course like other "Ernest" movies a LOT of hilarious stuff happens in the process!!

Jim Varney pulls off another great performance as Ernest in what would be the last "Ernest" film, and one of Jim Varney's last projects (He died a few years later. I was sad when he died.). I recommend this one to any die-hard "Ernest" fan.

"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 ****