In ERNEST SAVES CHRISTMAS, the rubber-faced title character (Varney), the obnoxious and not-too-bright TV commercial pitchperson and star of 1987's ERNEST GOES TO CAMP, is a Florida cab driver who picks up Santa Claus (Seale) at the airport a few days before Christmas. Santa's in town
because he's ready to retire and thinks a local newsman (Clark) would make a terrific replacement. Varney helps Santa cope with skeptical children, lost toys, the police, and a number of misadventures in a gung ho effort to save Christmas. A combination of fresh twists, worn cliches, and frenetic
camerawork, this film offers a premise that adults may not subscribe to--namely, that even Santa gets old, tired, forgetful, and in need of replacement. Still, the character with a heart of gold aims to entertain the young set and generally hits his targets.
