Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

A different way of telling a story

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

"Jim Varney is a very poor man's Jim Carrey". I find that statement insulting and, well, downright stupid. Varney paved the way for comedians like Carrey. At least Varney kept it clean in his Ernest movies. I like Carrey but even his supposed 'kid-friendly' shows have profanity. "Liar Liar", while not for the very young, had Carrey taking the Lord's name in vain. I've never in my whole life heard Varney say that. Has society been reduced to thinking that movies have to be laced with profanity, the same old mindless sex scenes, violence and nudity? Why is it okay for trashy movies with absolutely no heart, no plot and no moral message be given a higher rating simply because that 'hot chick' can't keep her clothes on or an overly buffed steroid-using man that blows everybody away or beats on a woman? I guess most wouldn't consider a movie unless someone had their butts hanging out of their shorts. Have people today turned into zombies? It seems Hollywood has taken over your minds. Do you see the crap out there in Hollywood now? Movies today suck. I haven't been to a theater since 'Harry Potter 3'. I doubt I'll be back. I have 'Ernest Goes to School' on tape and unfortunately, I try not to play it much because I know I will wear it out. I wish they would put this out on DVD so I can enjoy this movie more often. Varney plays one of his characters I love to hate but still love to watch: Astor Clement. Varney pulls off this character(like all the others) extremely well. Astor is a hoity-toity know-it-all that thinks he is smarter than the whole world. Quite a difference from that lovable sweetheart, Ernest. Ernest is the janitor at Chickasaw Falls high school and never graduated. But, another school wants to merge with Chickasaw Falls and requires all employees have a high school diploma. Fortunately, Greta(Kash) and Bobby(Byrge) have developed a machine capable of making Ernest super intelligent. He tries out the machine and immediately becomes knowledgeable in every subject but unfortunately, the more he uses the machine, the more of a jerk he becomes, alienating his friends and co-workers. Some football bullies eventually find out what Ernest is doing and go in and trash the machine, leaving Ernest as Ernest before a big test. His friends still help him by tutoring him day and night. Before the big test, Greta and Bobby fix the machine but Ernest decides against using it because his friends worked so hard at tutoring him and he doesn't want to let them down. Ernest had it in him all along. Hard work does pay off and taking the easy way out is not always the smartest way out, 'KnoWhutImean?'

If there is any one man walking the earth with a rain cloud over his head, it'd have to be Ernest P. Worrell. He lives by Murphy's Law (if it can go wrong, it will go wrong), and yet remains upbeat and optimistic. This is what makes audiences love this unfortunate do-gooder.Ernest provides a style of slap-stick comedy that appeals to children and adults alike. He is known for his catch phase "Know what I mean" and addressing an off camera friend named "Vern" by looking directly into the camera. He also has a few reoccurring actors that play different roles but the same basic character in every movie.The spirit of Jim Varney shows through his comedic acting, and there is no doubt that he loves what he does. Whether being doused with water, tripping, or making an easy task an extremely difficult feat, he seems as though he genuinely enjoys the business of making people laugh and smile.

I'd never heard of this movie before but after watching Next Friday tonite I figured what the hell.This is one of the funniest movie's I've ever seen. The music room scene had me crying in laughter. Varney was a comedic genius but you actually have to possess a sense of humor to get it. Any dink that doesnt think this movie is funny must have run out of Vaseline. 9/10

With a school threatened with closure to merge with another school, the staff are all told they must have graduated high school. This is no problem for all except janitor Ernest who returns to class to get his diploma. Despite some problems Ernest discovers a machine that makes him smart – but will it create more problems than it solves.This was my first Ernest film – I have since watched several more (sucker for punishment). As this was my first I came to it with no preconceptions except that I knew it was going to be a silly comedy. In the first 30 seconds we have Ernest dragging a cart across the campus knocking people down as he goes – that sets the mood for the comedy right away. The plot is absurd – the basic set up about him returning to school is daft but when the whole thing about the machine that makes him smart come in it really just gets dumb!However lets ignore the plot – it's all about the laughs isn't it? Sadly this has very very few good laughs – it has a handful of smiles but no real laughs. Most of the jokes involve someone getting hurt or Ernest mugging around. Really the level of comedy never gets above serving young children. It could easily have served adults too but this is far too basic for that to happen.Varney himself is a very poor man's Jim Carrey – nothing but mugging and silly voices. The only other cast member that is worth mentioning is a brief appearance by Sarah Chalke who played Darlene in Roseanne and is now in Scrubs.Overall – if you are between 4 and 11 then this will probably appeal to you. If you are outside of this demographic then you'll be as bored as I was. Another review said `it's a classic comedy like Police Academy 6' – yeah! That's about right…..I rest my case.