Pretty Good

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I vaguely remembered "Hey Vern!" from 20 years ago, mostly that there were a lot of jump cuts and primitive cut-out style "retro" graphics (that actually worked fairly well), there was some goofy stuff with the engagingly rubber-faced Jim Varney, and a few bits here and there that were bust-your-gut funny. But the show seemed to vanish like an annual flower after one season and never resurfaced. When I saw a Mill Creek collection on DVD with the entire season for under $7.00, the few memories I had of the show were good enough that I decided to spring for it and see how it held up. Answer:It holds up pretty well for a kid's Saturday morning show from more that 20 years ago...in fact better than most kid's material from that era, or from any era. I watched a couple of episodes each day for a week, so the repetition and running jokes for some of the skits got old pretty fast (this wouldn't have been an issue for a kid watching one episode every Saturday morning)...but I never got tired of Auntie Nelda, Doctor Otto, Existo The Magician, or Dust Bunny, and I only got a little tired of Ernest himself. Along with the skits and characters that appeared in all the episodes were a few wonderful miscellaneous bits, like when Jackie Welch (who played "Simon Simmons") also did a couple of hilarious Julie Andrews parodies (tributes?), or the two appearances of "Bill And Coo". I think that the cast and creators of "Hey Vern" were somewhat ahead of their time - "Pee Wee's Playhouse" took the same approach, and it was a big success (only short-circuited by Paul Reubens' melt down in his private life). Apparently they quit while they were ahead, or decided to concentrate on movies (there appear to have been several "Ernest" movies, which I never felt I needed to see). In any case, I enjoyed a return visit of all these goofy characters, and you might enjoy them too.

Jim Varney was quite brilliant as an entertainer. He never received the acclaim that he was due and it often makes me sad now that he's gone. Anyways, his television show "Hey Vern its Ernest" was one of the zaniest most imaginative programs... imaginable and it filled many of my Saturday mornings with joy and wonder! With its originality and poise, its difficult to believe it only lasted a few seasons. The show truly chronicles Jim Varney's ability as an entertainer and his take on different characters is exceptional and always memorable. "Hey Vern, its Ernest" would be especially welcome in these times of copious craptastic reality TV programming...Erghhh! (Fingers crossed) How about some reruns of 'Hey Vern Its Ernest'? ;) ;) :)

I only watched a few episodes on the family channel, but I remember that they were excellent, with Ernest usually doing something crazy, and of course, he would always switch to those famous alter-egos of his. If I remember correctly, it took place from Vern's point of view, as always is the case whenever we "see," Vern. I wish some channel would get this back, so I could watch the rest of the episodes. Ernest was great.BOTTOM LINE: Like I said, someone should get this series back on TV.

This show is hilarious! You never stop laughing. The writing is fantastic! Jim Varney is amazing as all of the various characters; you sometimes forget it's even him. And he is supported by an equally talented cast of actors and puppeteers.Characters like Dust Bunny and George add the prefect element of fantasy to the world of Ernest P. Worrel and his neighbor, Vern. You also get to watch the antics of the likes of Bill and Coo, Existo the Magician, Lonnie Don, Chuck, Bobby and others.The classic elements appeared in pretty much every episode, but you never got bored. It always stayed creative and funny. This is a fantastic program for young and old alike. If you can get yours hands on it, or catch it in reruns, do so. You will enjoy yourself, over and over again.