Ernest Goes to Camp (1987)

The greatest movie ever!

just watch it!

A Disappointing Continuation

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Jim Varney, Victoria Racimo, Gailard Sartain and John Vernon star in this 1987 comedy. The late, Varney (The Beverly Hillbillies) plays goofy, nice guy, Ernest P. Worrell who is caretaker of Camp Kikakee. He desperately wants to be a counselor and tries to prove himself when he's assigned to help a group of Juveniles. He endures their pranks, but eventually bonds with them and also tries to save the Camp from shrewd, land developer, Sherman Krader (Vernon) with their help. Racimo plays Native American Nurse, St. Cloud and Sartain plays the Camp's Chef, Jake who whips up some odd recipes. I watched this growing up, it's not bad and Varney was great as Ernest. I recommend this.

Ernest's summer camp adventure is actually his second feature-length adventure after he began life in TV commercials (not a lot of people know he actually starred in Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam the year before), and it's fairly standard mid-80s family fare.The clumsy handyman (played, by the late, ever appealing Jim Varney) gets a job as a counselor for delinquent kids who are having trouble fitting in with the more privileged lot. Through pain and pranks he manages to build their confidence. A very tacked-on subplot about an evil businessman wanting scam the Indian camp owner in order to mine the area into oblivion builds to a moderately entertaining climax as Ernest and the kids revolt.It reminded me a lot of Meatballs and Bushwhacked (both better films) and while it's shot for the big screen (in lovely anamorphic Panavision) John Cherry still directs like it's for TV, and clearly should have done more takes and rehearsals. I doubt kids will notice or care, but it gives the film the rushed feel of a TV production.Worth watching, if only just once.

Ernest goes to Camp is a good movie. It stars the late Jim Varney as Ernest P. Worrell. In this film, he works at Kamp Kikakee as a janitor. What he really wants to be is a counselor. He gets that wish, but there is a group of troubled boys to deal with. In the meantime, a mining company is about to destroy the camp! It's up to our old buddy Ernest to save the place he cares so much. I like the music in it mostly. I love the "Brave Hearts" song and Ernest even sings "Gee I'm Glad It's Rainin." I would say it's the best film Jim Varney has made. I know some people these days don't know this movie very well. If you are new to the Ernest series, start with this one. You will enjoy it. Know What I Mean Vern?

Criticts like Mick Martin gave this no stars. I guess they just don't like comedies about dumb clucks like Ernest. I laughed more than in any Ernest movie here. Ernest causes disaster, one mistake after another involving everything to do with camp you could think of, and ends up with boys who are so unusually obnoxious that they belong to the institute for bad boys, they make him drive like an idiot and give him poison ivy as a gift, to name a few. The camp is getting evacuated and Ernest and the boys and crew teach them a lesson, the best part is seeing the huge, macho, laughing bully who beat up Ernest during the confrontation, REALLY get it. Ernest and his friends have a battery full of weapons!