History Film / ErnestScaredStupid

GeniusBonus: If you can manage to stop smirking at Ernest during Ernest's costume-changing pep-talk, you'll realize he's paraphrasing Sun Tsu's [[Literature/TheArtofWar]]

** Doubles with ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction, as the changes are usually one after another in rapid succession, which is taken UpToEleven when he has a number of double-takes as different characters ''to the same event''.

** Old Lady Hackmore was firmly clutching it when she told Ernest how to release Trantor and expected him not to do it..

* FunnySchizofrenia: Kenny accuses Ernest of this whenever he launches into multiple costume-changes while describing the art of war.

* Shout-Out: A passing milk truck, a carton of chocolate milk Ernest drinks at the convenience store, and the milk cartons used by the kids in the climax are all branded "Purity," Which was the local dairy farm brand Ernest used to advertise in his commercial days.

* CallBack: A passing milk truck, a carton of chocolate milk Ernest drinks at the convenience store, and the milk cartons used by the kids in the climax are all branded "Purity," Which was the local dairy farm brand Ernest used to advertise in his commercial days.

* CallBack: A milk truck, a carton of chocolate milk, and the milk cartons used by the kids in the climax are all branded "Purity." Which was the local dairy farm brand Ernest used to advertise in his commercial days.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Ernest does exactly what Old Lady Hackmore says ''not'' to do and awakens Trantor. One could argue that Hackmore should be responsible for "breaking" it because she actually ''told'' Ernest how to awaken Trantor, and then expected him not to do it.

** Doubles with ChangingClothesIsAFreeAction, as the changes are usually one after another in rapid succession.

* StockFootage: The opening features clips from old black-and-white movies, including ''TheScreamingSkull'', ''TheGiantGilaMonster'', ''TheKillerShrews'' and the original ''LittleShopOfHorrors''.

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: One of the Murdock brothers gets turned into the last doll Trantor needs to revive his fellow trolls.]]

* OneOfTheKids: Ernest, who is always hanging out with the neighborhood kids. Even to other adults he's treated as having no more credibility than a kid.

* AdultChild: Ernest. [[spoiler:This trait is eventually what defeats Trantor.]]

* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Ernest may be a goofy AdultChild, but he by far handles Trantor and the other trolls the best - more so than the other adults.

* HoistbyHisOwnPetard: Trantor cursed the Worrell family to become dumber with each generation, possibly trying to create one dumb enough to free him. By the present, Ernest is basically an AdultChild. And it's this child-like innocence that allows him to kill Trantor once and for all.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Ernest does exactly what Old Lady Hackmore says ''not'' to do and awakens Trantor. One could argue that Hackmore should be responsible for "breaking" it because she actually ''told'' Ernest how to awaken Trantor, and then expected [[AdultChild him]] not to do it.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitue: Tom for Chuck from the previous Ernest films.

* SuperPersistentPredator: Trantor going after Kenny and Elizabeth. He gives up his first pursuit to grab a passer-by, but resumes pursuing the two later despite all sorts of other kids in the neighbor and him being on a strict deadline. He really goes out of his way pursuing Kenny (and only gives up after being scared off by a milk truck). Perhaps he is just that sadistic, [[spoiled:as evidenced by him turning Kenny to wood ''after'' achieving his goals]].

* NotNowKiddo: And given his child-like nature even Ernest gets this treatment from the other adults.

* AdultChild: Ernest. [[spoiler: This trait is eventually what defeats Trantor.]]

* HoistbyHisOwnPetard: Trantor cursed the Worrell family to become dumber with each generation, possibly trying to create one dumb enough to free him. By the present, Earnest is basically an AdultChild. And it's this child-like innocence that allows him to kill Trantor once and for all.

** And not miak.