Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The first must-see film of the year.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Imagine that, I only first saw "Ernest Saves Christmas" for the first time during the Christmas season of 2016. Yep, I know, way overdue. And it was only because it was part of a Christmas movie marathon with the family that I got around to watching this movie.Now, I am vaguely familiar with the Ernest character (played by Jim Varney) from my childhood, as I remember watching some of the movies back then, though the only title that comes to mind is "Ernest Goes to Camp".While "Ernest Saves Christmas" hardly is a Christmas Classic, it is still a funny and entertaining movie. Especially if you like the kind of slapstick comedy used there. And yes, there are a lot of funny situations, and I did laugh often and enjoyed the silliness of the movie, for sure.Despite being funny, then "Ernest Saves Christmas" wasn't exactly the type of movie that stood out as being memorable. I think you might actually watch it more than once, but with years in between each viewing.One of the good things is that you can sit down and watch "Ernest Saves Christmas" without having watched other movies in the franchise, as they work well as stand-alone movies."Ernest Saves Christmas" is a movie that can be enjoyed by virtually everyone in the family. And it is a fun enough movie to put on for some Christmas time comedy.

Ernest helps Santa Claus as he searches for his successor.I thought I had already written a review, but either I was mistaken or IMDb deleted it. Having seen this film five times in the last five years, it is surely one that sicks with me. Some -- myself included -- will say "Ernest Goes to Camp" is among the best in the series, as is "Ernest Scared Stupid". But only one, "Ernest Saves Christmas", has the appeal to make it one to see every December (or late November).Perfect casting for Santa, some stupid humor. Some offbeat humor (the "Santa's Slay" but is awesome). A feel-good message. And what a breakthrough role for Noelle Parker, who went on to star as Amy Fisher and then have her own television series, "Sisters". I am surprised she not got any bigger than she is... would love to hear her on an audio commentary for this film.

The opening of this movie is quite clever. Two airline passengers, one of whom is quite obviously Santa Claus, a fact of which the other man is totally unaware, are discussing business logistics related to the upcoming Xmas crunch. Priceless! Unfortunately, then Jim Varney as Ernest shows up to wreck everything. The plot is familiar to anybody who watched the Flintstones Xmas episode (which is everybody in the free world as far as I know) - Santa can't make his deliveries on Xmas eve and some unqualified idiot has to pitch in. Ernest does this here, and the results leave everything to be desired in the way of story originality and comic staging and timing. The slapstick is the whole point of the exercise and here it is very sloppy and unconvincing. Whoever saw Varney as a physical comedian needs an eye exam. He just can't do the job very well. And if this movie fails as slapstick it fails period, since there is not much else here to watch. Avoid.

Ernest (Jim Varney) is a cab driver who runs the airport routes in a big city. One day, he crashes his taxi into the unloading area of the airport and must make a beeline out of the site. Seeing a white-bearded gentleman who needs a cab, he hustles the old guy into his clutches and speeds off. Although Ernest sings "O Christmas Tree" with only these three words, he's really a nice guy. But, when the bearded one tells Ernest that his name is Santa Claus, Ernest doesn't really believe him. He drops the old man off, however, at a retirement home, as requested. Picking up a Christmas tree that fell off a truck and a homeless young teenage girl with an attitude, Ernest makes his way over to Vern's house to decorate. But, wait. The old man left his red, very large duffle-type bag on board. As Ernest opens the bag, he gets a glimpse of the bag's magical powers. Could this really have been Santa? Trying to return the sack to Mr. Claus, Ernest learns, however, that the old man has been thrown in jail. Is it up to Ernest to make sure Santa can fly on his big day? This is a sweet and fun family film that borrows a bit from Miracle on 34th Street and other holiday flicks. There is only one Ernest, of course, and Varney provides much comedic mayhem with his unique character. Just watch him talk about "channel number 5 perfume" or a "failure to accumulate" and you will be laughing heartily. His expressions are priceless, too. The rest of the cast, although unknown, are fine as well. No one will find fault with the look of the film, either, as the costumes, sets, and production values are high. Perhaps you have heard that Varney's humor is sometimes of the gross-out nature and you would rather not share his films with your family. Please, do reconsider when it comes to this one. Its humor is infectious, not offensive, and its sweet tale will warm the hearts of its viewers. So, make a batch of mulled, spiced cider and buttered popcorn and put this one into the home theater machine in the very near future.