Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam is a 1985 science fiction comedy film starring Jim Varney as Dr. Otto, an Always Chaotic Evil scientist who uses his gloom beam to make money worthless, requiring the answer to a riddle in order to stop it. The first bank assigns Dr. Otto's arch nemesis, Lance Sterling, to solve the riddle and defeat Dr. Otto, who manages to change himself into a variety of characters to stop Lance.
Dr. Otto, as well as his robot buddy Willie, would later have a supporting role on the Saturday morning series Hey Vern, It's Ernest!, while Ernest P. Worrell himself makes a cameo.
Includes examples of
- Advertised Extra: The movie poster and home video covers always feature Ernest P. Worrell, sometimes more prominently than any other character (even the title character), yet he's only in one scene. Home video releases add an extra scene with him.
- The Cameo: Ernest makes a cameo at the end of the film (and some video releases add an introduction scene with Ernest).
- Child Soldiers: The first obstacle Lance and Doris run across after their car is wrecked is a summer camp for child mercenaries.
- Comically Missing the Point: Lance does this quite a bit. When Esther admits to many bad things she has done, he just tells her everyone's made a few mistakes.
- Driven to Suicide: At one point, Bank President Rutherford points a gun in his mouth, intending to kill himself, before an employee gives him good news.
- Foil: Dr. Otto to Lance. Both were born on the same day and have gone on to be arch enemies. Lance was born to loving parents while Dr. Otto was neglected by his parents.
- Idiot Hero: Despite being trusted to solve the titular riddle and save the world, Lance is as sharp as a brick and twice as dense.
- Make an Example of Them: Dr. Otto vaporizes Monique with the Gloom Beam after Tina helps the heroes escape to show Tina what he's planning to do her.
- Oh, Crap!: After saving Tina from falling to her death because chickens were eating chicken feed placed on ropes, Lance points out that now they can have lunch, to which one of the (non-sentient) chickens gives a double take to the camera.
- Only Sane Man: Lance's partner, Doris, is the only sane one, compared to Lance being oblivious to a lot of things, Dr. Otto's chaotic evil tendencies, and Tina being a dumb henchwoman/damsel in distress.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Dr. Otto's robot, Willie, wears such disguises while accompanying Dr. Otto as other characters, but it's obvious that it's a robot.
- Random Events Plot: The film feels more like an excuse for Jim Varney to show off what roles he is capable of than to really focus on a plot.
- Robot Buddy: Dr. Otto built Willie as a science project, and he helps him with his evil deeds.
- Self-Made Orphan: Dr. Otto blew up his parents when he was ten years old with a bomb hidden in a Christmas present.
- Tickle Torture: Tina is subjected to this at the feather duster of Willie after she helps Lance and Doris escape.
- When I Was Your Age...: Lance sees many boys using guns and he tells them "when I was your age, my dad got me a BB gun."
