Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

For a couple centuries, the town of Briarville, Missouri has been cursed. A vicious troll vowed that he and his army would return to seek revenge. That day comes one Halloween when loveable dimwit Ernest P. Worrell accidentally fulfills the prophecy. Like Elvira and Pee-Wee Herman, people all over the world know who Ernest is. He's kind of one of the last really standout iconic oddball characters of the last couple decades. His films aren't what you'd call great art, but most of them are great fun.

The character of Ernest began when John Cherry approached Jim Varney about doing some local commercials. The character became so popular that it led to a TV show called Hey Vern, It's Ernest! It was only a matter of time before he was brought to the big screen. After going to summer camp, saving Christmas and landing in jail, what situation could he end up in next? Since there was no real continuity between the films besides Ernest, the sky was the limit. This time he would be pitted against something from out of this world: trolls.

One thing that's fun about the first few Ernest films, are the clever opening titles sequences. For this one, we have Ernest reacting to clips from classic b horror and science fiction films. Director John Cherry did fine on the other films, but here he really shines. He gets some great shots, has a great handle on all the craziness and even creates some real chills. Also, the production design is nicely done and gives the film a great Halloween flavor. Even more amazing are the effects, which include some real nasty looking trolls.

As always, Jim Varney puts on a good show as everyone's favorite nitwit. As for the rest of the cast, everyone is solid and really sink their teeth into the rolls. The late Earth Kitt gets to ham it up as a mysterious recluse and is a delight. There's also plenty of humor of course and for the most part the cast nails it. Seeing Varney play various characters is particularly amusing.

The music in the film is all really good and helps in keeping things moving along. It ranges from wacky to spooky and everything in between. And like the other films, Scared Stupid has good pacing and never gets dull. This is good considering the plot is pretty thin, which can make it difficult to hold a film together. Also, some of the yuks don't hit the bullseye and instead will probably make one roll their eyes.

It's movies like this that make the critics squirm in their seats. We need films that make us think, but other times we just need to have fun. This film may be bit dated and dopey, but a lot of heart went into it too. The sight of Ernest dancing with the enemy alone makes it worth at least one watch. It's an odd mix of humor and horror that actually works in both departments for the most part. It can be enjoyed by young an old at Halloween or any time of the year. Know what I mean?

7/10