Movies Like Ernest Goes to Camp

If you liked Ernest Goes to Camp (1987), a comedy and family movie directed by John Cherry, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Thunderstruck (2012)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and family
After NBA star Kevin Durant switches talent with 16 year old Brian, the teenager becomes the star of his high school team, but Durant starts struggling and eventually learns an important lesson.
2
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy and family
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the…
3
Camp Nowhere (1994)
★ 6/10Also comedy and family
Morris "Mud" Himmel has a problem. His parents desperately want to send him away to summer camp. He hates going to summer camp, and would do anything to get out of it. Talking to his friends, he realizes that they are…
4
Dennis the Menace (1993)
★ 5.9/10Also family and comedy
Mr. Wilson's ever-present annoyance comes in the form of one mischievous kid named Dennis. But he'll need Dennis's tricks to uncover a collection of gold coins that go missing when a shady drifter named Switchblade Sam…
5
How to Eat Fried Worms (2006)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and family
During the first day of his new school year, a fifth grade boy squares off against a bully and winds up accepting a dare that could change the balance of power within the class.
6
Rookie of the Year (1993)
★ 6.2/10Also family and comedy
When the cast comes off his once broken arm, a 12-year-old boy can throw a 100-mile-an-hour fastball, and the Chicago Cubs want him as their new pitcher.
7
Cadet Kelly (2002)
★ 6.2/10Also family and comedy
Hyperactive teenager Kelly is enrolled into a military school when her new stepfather becomes the Commandant. At first she has problems fitting in and taking orders until she tries out for the drill team.
8
Mixtape (2021)
★ 6.9/10Also comedy and family
On the eve of Y2K, orphaned 12-year-old Beverly discovers a broken mixtape crafted by her teen parents. Raised by her grandmother – who struggles talking about her late daughter – Beverly sees the mixtape as a chance…
9
Playing with Fire (2019)
★ 6.6/10Also family and comedy
A crew of rugged firefighters meet their match when attempting to rescue three rambunctious kids.
10
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh (2008)
★ 7.3/10Also comedy and family
Step brothers Drake and Josh must give a foster family the best Christmas ever or face years in jail for a Christmas party gone wrong.
11
My Spy (2020)
★ 6.9/10Also family and comedy
A hardened CIA operative finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl, having been sent undercover to surveil her family.
12
The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex (2013)
★ 7.8/10Also family and comedy
While trying to prove to her family she can be mature and responsible, teen wizard Alex Russo conjures up a spell to rid herself of her bad qualities, unintentionally creating a Good and Evil Alex. When Evil Alex gets…
13
Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)
★ 6.6/10Also comedy
When an upwardly mobile couple find themselves unemployed and in debt, they turn to armed robbery in desperation.
14
Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp (2024)
★ 6.4/10Also family and comedy
After getting kicked out of the forest, Woody thinks he's found a forever home at Camp Woo Hoo — until an inspector threatens to shut down the camp.
15
Little Big League (1994)
★ 6/10Also comedy and family
When the owner of the Minnesota Twins passes away, he bequeaths the team to his preteen grandson. The newly minted head honcho quickly appoints himself manager, causing unrest in an organization that struggles to take…
16
The Luck of the Irish (2001)
★ 6.1/10Also family and comedy
A teenager must battle for a gold charm to keep his family from being controlled by an evil leprechaun.
17
See Spot Run (2001)
★ 6.1/10Also family and comedy
A drug sniffing agent canine is a target for an assassin boss so the FBI calls Witness Protection to send him somewhere else. Meanwhile a single Mom puts her 6 year old boy James in the care of her irresponsible…
18
Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin (2024)
★ 7.7/10Also family and comedy
Franklin is new to town and hoping to make friends, but his usual tactics don't work on the Peanuts gang. When the Soap Box Derby arrives, he's sure it's a chance to impress new pals and teams up with the only other…
19
The Air Up There (1994)
★ 6.1/10Also family and comedy
Jimmy Dolan is a college basketball coach who wants a big promotion. To get it, he needs to make a dramatic find. He ends up deep in Africa, hoping to recruit Saleh, a huge basketball prodigy Jimmy glimpsed in a home…
20
Tom & Jerry (2021)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy and family
Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse get kicked out of their home and relocate to a fancy New York hotel, where a scrappy employee named Kayla will lose her job if she can’t evict Jerry before a high-class wedding at the…