This is the third best in the Ernest line, second to Ernest Scared Stupid.

It was odd that they went this route with an Ernest film. It almost seemed like they were trying to take Worrell too seriously, and in some places, this film comes off as rough and crude, rather than funny. In spite of that, the story is interesting...intriguing even, but the supporting character, the professor, is a detriment to this work. His interpretation of the character, or maybe even the character itself, is too brash and harsh to fall into the usual Ernest formula, thereby derailing what should have been the best Ernest movie of the line.

I always hoped Varney's Ernest would attempt something more substantive like this again, but alas! it is not to be. RIP Jim Varney. You are sorely missed by those of us who loved you.

It rates a 6.2/10 from...

the Fiend :.

The final Ernest movie released in theaters is all about the cannon ride. Like the previous movies, it's an excuse for Jim Varney (who was also known as the voice of Slink in "Toy Story") to be silly in the role of the gold-hearted dimwit. I was never really a fan of the Ernest movies, but they were always good for a laugh. The cannon ride in "Ernest Rides Again" is entertaining enough. The rest of the movie doesn't quite equal it, though. Ever since Varney died, I've wondered if he felt content only being known as the lovable, buffoonish hick. Sure, it left him with a cult following, but wouldn't he have wanted something more than that? Anyway, this movie is nice, cheap entertainment.