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

A group of juvenile criminals is sent for vacation to Kamp Kikakee. The clumsy Ernest (Jim Varney) has to care for them, although he doesn't even know how to take care of himself.

There were a handful of good Ernest films. "Saves Christmas" is excellent, and both "Goes to Jail" and "Scared Stupid" are pretty good. This may be the best one, though. It really tried to have a deeper message that appealed both to kids and adults. It may be silly, it might have delinquents who seem like nice kids, and it may have a Sicilian who plays an Indian chief... but it is a good movie.

I understand why this film has an overall low rating, but it should not be as low as it currently is (5.4 in September 2015). This is a true children's classic.

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.