Pretty Good

Good movie but grossly overrated

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Blistering performances.

I find this movie to be a great movie that I like to watch every Christmas. It moves along at a nice pace and is pretty good to watch. I've never actually seen another Ernest movies, but I have to imagine that they would probably be good movies too. Parts of it may seem stupid, but they really aren't. It's very enjoyable with a good plot, even if it borrows from basic Christmas movies a little. One may thus find some of what's in the movie obvious, but it is hard to find better Christmas movies to watch on a regular basis. If you have not seen it before, I highly recommend it. You might enjoy it too. I don't think that one can regret seeing this movie because it is enjoyable for all ages. It can just be a little strange, but what were you expecting from an Ernest movie anyways?

Boy this is a tough one for me to review but it's one that left an impact on me for sure. The holidays are here again and once upon a time this was my favorite holiday film. I was a youngster to be sure but this goofy thing was always on my holiday viewing. It probably also added to my love of the Santa Claus legend. Now as an adult I was tempted to give this a look through the eyes of an adult. It's not the nicest thing to do because as we age we grow cynical but I really wanted to see this movie again.I don't know what happened but I still got a lot of joy out of it. I won't deny that nostalgia probably fogged my lens but 'Ernest Saves Christmas' genuinely matches all the criteria for a heart warming Christmas film. And now you'll ask me "Do you really still enjoy Ernest as a grown man?" No, not really. Oddly enough Ernest is not what draws me to this movie. The thing I love about this movie is it's portrayal of Santa Claus. Ernest is off the wall goofy but the Santa legend is taken super seriously. Douglas Seale gives in my opinion probably the best portrayal of Santa Claus in any medium.And so there are really two films to be reviewed here. The story of a retiring Santa reluctantly hanging up the sack and Ernest making a goof of himself in the process. I almost wish Ernest himself weren't actually in this movie because the stuff with Santa is so interesting and heartwarming. Can you really hate Ernest though? I don't know. Jim Varney definitely shovels it out and throws everything at the wall in the hopes that something might stick. I guess I'd say he's a low rent hillbilly Pee-Wee Herman. I was an Ernest fan as a kid though and so I tried to think about what appealed to me back then. Varney just has a manic energy and does anything for a laugh. Children will love him as did I. Is it deep or sophisticated comedy? No. Is it harmless? Yes. Don't get me wrong there are moments when Varney enters Jar Jar Binks territory but the whole thing is meant to be as goofy as possible and I might as well let it slide. I mean it's Christmas right?What makes me love this film is Santa. Santa Claus is an interesting character with a lot of myths surrounding him. 'Ernest Saves Christmas' has the great benefit of having an actor who treats the role like Hamlet and brings out it's intricacies. I love Douglas Seale in this part. It's like the kind of performance where the actor melds with the character. Seale has a genuine joy in the way he describes the actions of Santa Claus. He interacts with every character with kindness, love, and respect. You would imagine an Ernest film would go for the cheapest laughs but Seales' Santa Claus has nothing but dignity. The plot is a bit contrived but there are stakes here, tremendous stakes. Christmas needs to be saved here and that is because of Seale's conveying the plot. Is he manipulating me? I don't know. On paper I imagine this character reads terribly. Santa spends so much of the film doing nothing but delivering exposition. He does so in a way that perfectly captures the essence of the character but also of the other character's he is interacting with. I don't really see a whole lot of worth in the Santa myth. I always thought it was a bad idea to get kids to believe in Santa Claus but this is the Santa Claus I would want to believe in.I'm not going to bother giving this a star rating or going into it's many other flaws. It's a goofy movie but it still had the power to put me in the Christmas spirit. If you can stand a little annoying Ernest comedy than you are treated to a wonderful portrayal of Santa Claus.

Ernest movies are not for everyone but for those who like them they are very entertaining and funny. Ernest is a know it all character played by Jim Varney. Ernest never says he can't do any thing even when he is so far over his head that he can't see the sky. He never quits or gives up no matter had bad things are and how bad the outlook is. I think his character is just one of never say die. In this movie he runs into a Santa Claus that wants to retire and find a successor. Of course he bumbles through and is successful in the end. Billie Bird appears as her usual acerbic and funny self. Douglas Seale plays the very tired Santa Claus who runs in to Ernest everything work out for the best.

When I was a kid, this movie and Ernest Goes to Camp tied as my favorites. Jim Varney was an incredibly talented actor, and his Ernest character was his way of taking a break from more serious pursuits. It's rare today to find even a Christmas movie that's not filled with bad language, sexual innuendo, and other filth- but every Ernest movie is 100% clean, family-friendly fun. As an example I cite the character in this movie (forget his or the actor's name, it's been ages) who used to host a children's show, but got a part in a movie and couldn't bring himself to say a certain line with a bad word, because he couldn't stand to think of the children hearing him say it. That wasn't just that character's attitude, it was Jim Varney's as well. Varney was a chain smoker- however he would never light up if there was a child around. And he refused to use foul language. I think Varney also made a nod to the state of movies with his Mr. Apopka the snake handler character in this movie- "That's all these Hollywood folk want. Poison!" Speaking of characters, Jim's various personifications always had me rolling on the floor. In this movie the best was definitely the old lady. Anyway, I think any viewer with children who is looking for some clean, funny movies for the kids, would do well to rent this one or any of the Ernest movies.