By Geno McGahee
In 1983, film history was made with the comedy NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION. The film, starring Chevy Chase, would lead to a franchise with several sequels and some spinoffs, but the series was considered dead after the 1997 VEGAS VACATION that failed to impress. In 2015, a new entry in the series titled “VACATION” was released and the trailer looked terrible, but it starred Ed Helms and Christina Applegate, and they both deliver well in comedies. So there was hope.
Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) is a commercial pilot, married to Debbie (Christina Applegate) and has two children, James (Skyler Gisondo) and Kevin (Steele Stebbins), and much like his dad, family harmony is the goal. At a dinner, Rusty overhears his wife talking about how they do the same thing every year and that she’s bored with it. He decides to make a change and bring his family to a place that he holds dear: Wally World. In 1983, his family went on a memorable journey to that amusement park and he wants to have that experience with his own, but they aren’t that excited about it. Debbie would rather a romantic trip to Paris and his kids are at each other’s throats and have no interest in the park.
They hit the road and James has to deal with his younger brother’s bullying. As they drive, he sees a young girl, Adena (Catherine Missai), and the two begin to flirt. Kevin throws a plastic bag over his head and starts suffocating James as the girl drives away. James is very passive and allows his younger brother to torment him.
After some issues at a health spa, the family goes to visit Audrey (Leslie Mann), Rusty’s sister, and her husband, Stone Crandall (Chris Hemsworth). Stone is a weatherman and is very charismatic and after a few glasses of wine, Debbie’s attraction to him is very evident. This leads to a competition between Rusty and Stone and one that Rusty cannot win. He tries too hard and accidentally kills one of the cows that Audrey and Stone own.
The family has car trouble and they decide to call the trip and just go home, but they make a stop off to see some familiar faces. Clark (Chevy Chase) and Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) now own a bed and breakfast, but, as usual, Clark doesn’t always do the right things and his guests are less than impressed. When Clark discovers that his son is planning on stopping the journey, he gives him some inspirational advice and it helps the family to unite and realize just what they have together. Wally World is now a reality and they make it there to the amusement park that was so meaningful to the Griswolds in 1983.
VACATION is a great comedy. It’s a mixture of raunchy, stupid and gross-out humor, with a great deal of throwback and appreciation for the original film. Ed Helms, much like his work in THE HANGOVER, plays the awkward and likable nerd. Christina Applegate is made for films like this. She is one of the best female comedic actresses and seems to find her footing well in raunchy comedies. Skyler Gisondo did well as the nerdy son, but the other brother was so unlikable and unbelievable at times, it was difficult to appreciate Steele Stebbins. Stebbins wasn’t a bad actor, but the role just didn’t work.
Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo captured their magic again in the small roles that they were in. It was a shame that they weren’t in the film more, but it was worth having them in it for this small bit. Chris Hemsworth was hilarious in this as well and worked very well off of both Leslie Mann and Applegate. Hemsworth, known mostly for his work as Thor, proved that he can do comedy effectively as well and I look forward to seeing him in more comedic flicks. Charlie Day needs to be recognized for his role in this too. Always funny, Day nails it again in his small part here.
VACATION is a surprising winner. The trailer did not do this film justice. It’s rare that I find myself laughing out loud so much at a film, but VACATION had me cracking up. A lot of the gross out humor didn’t work, but when it got raunchy, it was hilarious. Ed Helms did a great job playing the role and when he explains pedophilia and rim jobs to his sons, it’s a riot. Although it cannot be compared to the 1983 original, this is a great tribute to it and it’s a great comedy. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 7.5/10