gavin6942 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.

thesar-2 Ahhh, Christmas 2013. I had to revisit a childhood favorite of mine: Ernest Saves Christmas. I haven't seen this for over twenty years and remember loving and re-watching it so many times back in the late 80s.You know (Vern,) watching these Ernest movies as an adult, it's not quite the same effect as viewing them through the eyes of a child. Recently, I've been revisiting three of the four I loved (or liked) as a child: Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Saves Christmas and Ernest Scared Stupid. (I have yet to re-watch Ernest Goes to Jail, and I will soon. I do have that on BluRay now, and that was my personal favorite as a child with this holiday special as #2.) And, boy, I can see how I liked them in my youth, and they do have some absolute humor that translates to adults, but they are over-the-top silly at times.That said, there's a purity to them. Ernest, er, the late and great Jim Varney, has such a heart and kept everything in his act and movies clean. I like that. In fact, I'm surprised these movies are rated as high as PG. Honestly, there's nothing, and rightfully so, in them that should offend anyone. Thank you, Mr. Varney.Here, in Ernest Saves Christmas, Ernest, the G-Rated, but somewhat unsafe, taxi driver gets mixed up with the real Santa Claus as he's on a mission to pass the torch onto a new Santa as the "magic is up."Naturally, things are a lot more complicated as they appear and Ernest screws up a lot, but in the end, there's the heart and soul of Ernest P. Worrell who brings it all together.While not perfect, you gotta admire it for its simplicity in a complicated film. One can criticize Varney's odd facial expressions and zoom-ins or even dislike them. But, he had a heart and he set out to make a (what I think should be a G-Rated) special Christmas movie. Mission: Accomplished.* * * Final thoughts: Don't get me wrong. This movie is way silly. And I had to endure a few too many "made-for-younger-crowds" scenes, like eyes darting back and forth as a gag. It's okay to get past that when you know the core audience. I wish these movies, the Ernest series, would come back for the next generation so they can appreciate more family-friendly, (should be!) G-rated fare.

attackrabbit I think out of all the Ernest films , this one has probably the highest budget. The cinematography is good , better then a lot of stuff I've rented lately. Of course it's ridiculous , it's and Ernest movie. I don't think people give Jim Varney a lot of credit, he was an incredible voice actor , and his multi character soliloquies are hilarious. A lot of his stuff was pre - Jim Carey , and he managed to really pull off some hilarious physical comedy. The actors in this movie are believable , although the plot does get a little absurd. Seriously, some of these actors , especially the girl that plays Pamela , are actually better then a lot of lesser grade stuff I've seen. Good flick , if you haven't seen it , give it a chance. I promise you'll laugh.

Terry Bonner I must confess that I love this film. It isn't high-brow entertainment: the plot is pedestrian, and the production values are minimal. That said, this is Jim Varney's magnum opus, and it is simply a delightful, affirmative and even inspirational statement about the power of belief and the dignity of the individual. Ernest is the epitome of, what St. Francis called, the great fool of God. His child-like simplicity and optimistic belief in the goodness of mankind and the benevolence of the Universe is rewarded with the revelation that Santa Claus does indeed exist. Along the way, he manages to showcase his considerable talent for character-acting and his incomparable comedic timing.Yes, Virgina. There is a Santa Claus! And this film gets played at least once a year in my household, a tradition now of almost twenty years standing. It is a cherished talisman of my family, along with A Christmas Story and the 1951 version of Scrooge.If, while watching this film, you don't find yourself laughing and crying and yearning for a world where Santa really exists, you simply are beyond redemption. (And this comes from a man who counts Unforgiven as one of his all-time favorite films).