Ernest Goes to Jail (1990): Dir: John R. Cherry III / Cast: Jim Varney, Gailard Sartain, Barbara Bush, Randall "Tex" Cobb, Bill Byrge: Average comedy that treats its prison theme with contempt. The next film should be called Ernest Goes to Therapy, which he should seek if he finds the slightest joy in jury duty. Ernest is a janitor at a bank where a jury duty opportunity has him knocked unconscious and replaced by a criminal look-alike who happens to be on death row. Formula follows his many escape attempts as well as the criminal's inability to fill his shoes. In Escape From Alcatrez Clint Eastwood doesn't have quite as much fun in the pen. The ending is a complete free-for-all where all logic goes out the window. Director John R. Cherry's third Ernest film with fine special effects but not quite up to Ernest Saves Christmas. Jim Varney should be given credit for playing off two very different roles successfully. Gailard Sartain steals moments as a buffoon security guard whose security ideas are a constant bust, and Bill Byrge plays his silence yet agreeable sidekick. Barbara Bush plays the standard damsel whom Ernest is smitten by. Randall "Tex" Cobb plays a prison inmate who is to teach Ernest how to be his look-a-like while becoming fond of his good natured qualities. While not the worst of its kind, its reality of prison is treated like fun fair instead of the dread it is. Score: 3 ½ / 10
Review of Ernest Goes to Jail
