Slam Dunk Ernest (1995) (V)

User Rating:

4.2/10   

Director:

John R. Cherry III

Writers (WGA):

John R. Cherry III (written by) &
Daniel Butler (written by)

Release Date:

20 June 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Sport

Tagline:

The Hilariously High-Scoring Comedy!

Plot:

Ernest P. Worrell becomes a basketball star after an angel bearing an uncanny resemblance to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gives him a pair of magic sneakers.

Plot Keywords:

Basketball | Angel | Seventh Part | Sequel | Kids And Family

Cast

Jim Varney	...	Ernest P. Worrell
Cylk Cozart	...	Barry Worth
Aaron Joseph	...	Quincy Worth, Barry's Son
A.J. Bond	...	Little Ernest
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	...	The Archangel of Basketball
Miguel A. Núñez Jr.	...	T.J. (as Miguel A. Nunez Jr.)
Lester Barrie	...	Willie
Colin Lawrence	...	Tommy T.
Richard Leacock	...	Walter
Jay Brazeau	...	Mr. Zamiel Moloch
Douglas Newell	...	Head Guard
Henry O. Watson	...	Mr. Ellis
Brenda Crichlow	...	Jackie Worth - Barry's Wife
Lossen Chambers	...	Dr. Love (Basketball Announcer)
Charles Payne	...	Opponent 1

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:G | UK:U | Iceland:L | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Emshell Producers

Trivia:

When Ernest and his team are playing against others, check out the names: Kikakee Fish (Kikakee was the name of the camp in Ernest Goes to Camp (1987)), Tulip Brothers Hardware (Tulip was the last name of Tom and Bobby in Ernest Scared Stupid (1991); they sold hardware), and Trantor Dairy (Trantor was the name of the troll in Ernest Scared Stupid (1991), who was defeated by milk).

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The sign in the back of the stadium clearly states "Alberta", a province in Canada.

Quotes:

Barry Worth: Listen, I made a mistake, all right? I could have played college ball, and I could have gone pro. Listen to me when I'm talkin' to you. But I messed up. I dropped out of school, and I didn't get an education and that was it.
Quincy Worth, Barry's Son: So because you messed up, I can't get the shoes?
Barry Worth: No. No. Because I messed up, you can't mess up. Thinkin' you need things you don't. You're listenin' to the wrong people, son. Well, when you're older, you'll understand.
Quincy Worth, Barry's Son: When I'm older, I'll end up just like you.

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Doesn't match up to the earlier "Ernest" films, but still pretty good.

Although it was a Independent film (which started with the "Ernest" films made after 1991), "Slam Dunk Ernest" is still one of my favorite "Ernest" films (of course trailing the theatrical movies). In the movie, Ernest is being given a special pair of shoes given to him by the Archangel of Basketball (Played by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) that make him a great basketball player, and eventually a star. But in the process, Ernest becomes the arrogant kind of star, and eventually sees himself, and does the right thing to make up for it. Jim Varney does yet another solid job as nit wit Ernest P. Worrell, and the guys who played Ernest's basketball teammates were pretty good too. The movie overall is pretty good, and the best "Ernest" film made after "Ernest Scared Stupid".

Although it doesn't measure up to the "Ernest" films that were in theaters ("Ernest Goes to Camp", "Ernest Saves Christmas", "Ernest Goes to Jail", and "Ernest Scared Stupid"), "Slam Dunk Ernest" is still a good "Ernest" movie. So check it out, you may like it.