Synopsis
Ernest helps Santa Claus as he searches for his successor.
Scores
Overall Score
71.2
Popularity Percentile (Year)
73.6%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
82.9%
Review Aggregate
45.3
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is largely positive, with 75% of 8 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize christmas, funny, family-friendly. Most critics frame the film as an effective delivery of its core style and intent.
christmasfunnyfamily-friendlystylizedcharacter-drivenemotional
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Varney | 1988 | $1,040,000 | $2,758,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score40.0
RT critic review count15
Rotten Tomatoes audience score43.0
RT audience rating count25,000
IMDb rating5.7
IMDb votes13,695
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1988 | $28,202,109 | $74,784,460 |
| International | 1988 | N/A | N/A |
| Worldwide | 1988 | $28,202,109 | $74,784,460 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 1988 | $14,101,054 | $37,392,230 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 1988 | N/A | N/A |
| Digital Purchases ? | 1988 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 1988 | $30,571,000 | $81,066,126 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 1988 | $15,991,000 | $42,403,861 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 1988 | $7,050,527 | $18,696,115 |
| Total Revenues | 1988 | $67,713,582 | $179,558,331 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 1988 | $6,500,000 | $17,236,264 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 1988 | $7,079,000 (est) | $18,771,617 (est) |
| Participations | 1988 | $5,417,000 | $14,364,437 |
| Residuals ? | 1988 | $3,775,000 | $10,010,292 |
| Interest & Overhead | 1988 | $1,300,000 | $3,447,253 |
| Total Expenses | 1988 | $24,071,000 | $63,829,862 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 1988 | $43,642,582 | $115,728,469 |
Similar Movies
| Poster | Movie | Year | Match | Overall | Est. Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Ernest Scared Stupid | 1991 | Shared franchise (1) | 63.1 | $32,888,027 |
 | Ernest Goes to Camp | 1987 | Shared franchise (1) | 68.8 | $37,977,036 |
 | Ernest Goes to Jail | 1990 | Shared franchise (1) | 63.8 | $50,338,177 |
 | Ernest Rides Again | 1993 | Shared franchise (1) | 23.3 | $8,163,026 |
 | Elf | 2003 | Shared genres: 4 | 92.8 | $104,188,817 |