Ernest Goes to Camp

1987 "Welcome to Kamp Kikakee, the craziest summer camp ever!"
5.5| 1h32m| PG| en
Details

Ernest, a lovable loser who works as a summer camp handyman and dreams of becoming a guidance counselor, must find a way to inspire a group of juvenile delinquents while stopping a shady strip mining company from closing the camp as well.

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Reviews

Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!
Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
TheLittleSongbird With the 'Ernest' film series, there are people who get much entertainment out of them and finds a lot of appeal in Ernest. There are also people who dislike, or even outright hate, the films and find the character annoying.For me, while they are not great films, the 'Ernest' films are mostly silly harmless fun that don't try to be any more than they need to be. They're mostly uneven but entertaining in a guilty pleasure sort of way, and Ernest is the sort of the character one can relate to easily. The sort of character that is a well-intended serial bungler with a strong heart but always finding himself messing up. 'Ernest Goes to Camp' was the film that started it all off, and while not one of the series' best to me it really wasn't bad.'Ernest Goes to Camp' is an uneven film sure. It is thin in story which makes the tacked-on and ridiculously over-the-top evil businessman/company subplot and ending even more muddled and out of place. Low budget does show in some of the slapdash camera work.Not all the humour and sentimentality work, though mostly do. Some of the slapstick is very childish, even for an Ernest film, and some of the sentimentality is cloying and cornball. Other than Jim Varney and the appealing children, the rest of the cast are not all that memorable.Varney however is immensely likable and great fun as Ernest, thought he had a lot of charm and to be honest in the 'Ernest' films in general the mugging that he has been criticised for is to me not that apparent. The camp setting is nicely nostalgic, for anybody with fond memories of camping will it will be like a trip down memory line, and the music is an energetic delight.It was said earlier that not all the humour and sentimentality worked. Most does, from personal opinion that is. Most of the time it was a range of being quite amused to being in hysterics in the laughter factor, and there are some sweet and touching moments. Also appreciated some of the messaging/values done without preaching.Overall, not a bad start for Ernest even if it's not one of his best. 6/10 Bethany Cox
thesar-2 When I was a kid, Ernest was the man. Even if he was not the typical "man," he was still someone I looked up to and laughed with and I saw someone that could entertain with a heart.Ernest Goes to Camp was a movie I finally got my hands on following my multiple views of (Part II) Ernest Saves Christmas and (Part III) Ernest Goes to Jail. Back in those days, movies weren't always readily available. Sadly, I wasn't as impressed back then with this outing when I already was in love with the improved sequels.In today's times, I'm still on the fence. I did have fun, and did laugh a lot with this romp of a camp counselor wannabe, but it wasn't as good as I remember his follow-ups to be.What is nice about the character Ernest, from the dearly departed Jim Varney, was how big his heart was and how well he could connect with children, even as an adult. Literally, despite the slapstickness of his act, he was a genius in his connection with the youth. At the time, I was part of that, and I will never forget him or his "Ernest." Ever.Poor, dysfunctional Ernest. He yearns to evolve from a maintenance/janitor at a summer camp to full-fledged Camp Counselor. The kids don't really respect him, the staff pities him and yet, his pure heart strives on.When the opportunity arises, he's assigned troubled kids and does all he can to lift their spirits while…running into objects, getting bit, providing poor advice and eating goo not fit for man. But, when the going gets tough, he leads the rascals against the big, bad man who wants to harvest the camp's land for profit.In all honesty, it may not be the best message to send to kids in the climax, but it's just for fun. And it is a lot of fun. Even some unintentional sexually explicit statements are made, but maybe I twisted those from my warped mind.I digress. I think this is great for young kids and adults who remember him from their childhood. And let me tell you: It's refreshing to see a wooded camp movie without a killer on the loose!
Lee Eisenberg Maybe the Ernest movies had no cinematic value, but you have to accept them for what they are: pure, unadulterated fun. In this case, Ernest P. Worrell (Jim Varney) is working at a summer camp, where some "second chance" kids have just arrived. Most of the movie is an excuse to have Ernest get into a series of embarrassing situations, but then he has to try and protect the camp from an unctuous developer (John Vernon).Like I said, you have to accept the Ernest movies, if only to watch him mess everything up all the time. He's like Gilligan: he always tries his best, but always manages to bungle things. It's quite certain that Jim Varney will be missed.
departed07 This is by far, the funniest ernest p. worrell flicks ever. What I still like about it, its that not only is it heartwarming and rejuvenated; but from the series itself, this is the only normal one I consider funny. I know its slapstick comedy when Ernest gets squash from a coke machine or when he is flying from the toliet; but at least he's not chasing trolls, playing basketball, in the army, in africa, in jail, saving santa, or worse yet, school. I can't go any farther than this, but this is the only ernest flick that I will only watch, and still like until the day I die.