Another Childhood Favorite!!!
Added 6/14/2009
Ever since I was a kid, I have loved this movie. Everybody does an awesome job and the movie has a great storyline with awesome comedy and famous quotes. Chase plays Clark Griswold, a man who is going to take his family to Walley World, no matter what happens. They run into a lot of trouble, deals with his aunt, visit his redneck cousin, stay at crappy hotels and much more! I highly recommend that you take a VACATION!!!
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truly a classic
Added 3/19/2009
One of my favorite old time movies. Chevy Chase is a sometimes oblivious but loving father taking his family on a vacation to a theme park in California. A lot of wacky things happen along the way and while visiting relatives. The acting is superb and the writing is fun. This is a great family movie and one for your collection of dvd's.
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One of the greatest movies of the 80's!
Added 10/23/2008
Got this movie for my Husband for his birthday. It's one of his all time favorite movies and couldn't believe I found it for him!! Amazon has all what you are looking for and you can't beat the free shipping!
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Hay Wire
Added 10/18/2008
National Lampoon's Vacation is one wild incredible movie. It is an insane mixture of side-splitting humor and unnerving adventure. Chevy Chase plays the part of the con-man father. Other actors include Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron, Micahel Hall, John Candy, Imogene Coca, and Christie Brinkley.
There is one ridiculous scene after another as the family travels down the road to their vacation destination: the girl stirring the punch with her hand, the hamburgers with no meat, the biting dog, Aunt Edna in her hair rollers, the disaster in the desert, the dip in the pool. The fun goes on and on. Then there is the grande finale.
This movie made millions. It's classic comedy -- a real hoot. Don't miss it.
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One wild and crazy vacation that is well worth taking...
Added 9/26/2008
As one would gather from my review of `Caddy Shack', there is just some humor that, while achieving much praise and cult status, I just don't really get. You'd expect that since I was not a huge fan of `Caddy Shack' that I also would find `National Lampoons Vacation' to be a bit of an overpraised comedy, but what you fail to realize is that Chevy Chase was my favorite thing about `Caddy Shack' and when you strip away everything I didn't really like about the golfing spectacle you are left with `Vacation', a film that I can very much enjoy.
The film tells the story of the Griswold family as they attempt to travel cross-country to visit the amusement park Wally World. Along the way they meet with many obstacles that strain their relationships and prevent them from attaining their end goal, of having fun. They meet up with oddball relatives who hit them up for money. They get stuck transporting a crotchety old woman to another relative's home. They break down, break up, fight, make up, get lost, endanger their lives and pretty much fall into every type of hazardous condition imaginable and yet nothing compares to what happens when they actually make it to their destination!
All of this is propelled by the hilarious performances by the cast, Chevy Chase in particular. As the everyman Clark Griswold, Chase develops a comical version of ourselves and this is a joy to watch. As he races up alongside the babe in the convertible, giving her the eye while his wife is asleep we can see what is running through his mind. Does he want to cheat? No. Does he like the idea of having the opportunity? Of course he does. Beverly D'Angelo is also wonderful as Ellen. She is the right sort of counterbalance to Chase's breed of humor and she helps ground the film and makes it more relatable. Imogene Coca is hysterical as the crazy Aunt Edna and Randy Quaid as a memorable cameo as bumpkin Cousin Eddie.
The antics that happen are outrageous and at times even ridiculous (Aunt Edna on the hood of the car = laugh riot), but it never feels that extreme because we are so wrapped up in that `this could really happen' phase. We see so much of our own family within the Griswold clan that everything they experience feels that much more believable.
Well, some may find it baffling that I enjoy this film so thoroughly yet found much to dislike in `Caddy Shack'. What can I say; they are too very different movies that leave me feeling very differently. The acting here is much more consistent in my opinion, as are the jokes and gags. I found myself laughing out loud here as apposed to concealing a halfhearted chuckle. I have not seen the other `Vacation' films, and I hear that they are not as good, but I'm definitely going to check them out because this one is a real keeper.
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Quite Well Put Together
Added 5/5/2009
I know I am probably in the minority on this, but I feel this 2nd chapter was the best of the 4. I feel the comical moments, the moments of tension, and Chevy Chase's sudden rise to facing a crisis are especially well balanced.
Very quickly, the Griswalds win a trip to Europe (in a comical accidental manner) on a game show. By the way, John Astin handles his small role as the game show host really well.
In 4 neatly divided chapters, Chevy Chase and his family see England, France, Germany, and Italy. Their 1st trip is to England. In one comical moment, Chevy Chase tries to consult his computer to understand what someone is saying, and Rusty has to say: "Dad, he's speaking English!" The Griswalds also run into some especially friendly English who don't take vehicular accidents so much to heart. ("Don't worry. Now I've got an excuse to get it fixed.")
Their 2nd stop is in France. There are of course some language barriers from hereon. As someone who studies French, it upset me a little that most of the French were portrayed as rude.
In one moment, Chevy's video camera is stolen, and this will play an important part later. The Griswalds are insulted (in French) as they check into their hotel. At a restaurant, a waiter curses (quite heavily in French) at Chevy Chase, and while part of us wants to laugh, part of us may feel it was totally uncalled for.
If you study French, you may see what possibly provoked the waiter's reaction. Chevy Chase mispronounces 'Garcon' which technically can refer to a waiter. But it literally translates to 'boy.' And 'Garcon' is considered an IMPOLITE way to refer to a waiter.
Also likely was that the waiter was reacting to Chevy Chase's mispronouncing the French words. But to be fully honest, who doesn't mispronounce a few words when they are trying to learn a new language? Undoubtedly, the most popular French scene in this movie is when Chevy Chase finds his son Rusty drunk at the topless night club.
Onto Germany. Here we have one extreme to the other. The Griswalds receive some especially hospitable treatment from total strangers. But Chevy almost gets hanged at a festival. The most memorable scene here may very well be when the girl says: "They're going to hang someone." And with barely a second of thought, Rusty screams: "Dad!" But of course they escape, and make it to the train. There is some understandable frustration with each other on the train. (Very quickly though, even if we set external circumstances aside, the 4 have simply been together for too long. People need their space, and this will play an important part in Italy.)
In Italy, they happen to accidentally (but realistically and innocently) walk into a crime in the works. Tension is released as the criminals buy time, and (under the guise of employees of a travel agency) offer Chevy and his family a huge amount of money to go shopping with.
But the tensions start to brew again, and to Ellen's shock, an 'explicit' tape of her that was stolen in France, has found its way to the movie theaters. ("The Wet Hot Wife") From here the family goes their own way, but they are reunited when Ellen is kidnapped.
In many ways, I consider this the best of the 4. Because things start well; then there are some understandable tensions; but the family is reunited when a crisis hits. And all of a sudden, Chevy Chase no longer bumbles. He is smart, quick thinking, and effective in his rescue of Ellen.
I know many people consider the 1st the best. But I must hold to my opinion that this 2nd chapter is the best of the 4.
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European Vacation is an 80's classic!
Added 4/19/2009
As far as sequels go, European Vacation succeeds in being fun, entertaining and completely watchable. While it may not have the greatness of the original which I give 5 stars, I can easily rate European with a strong 4 stars. Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are back as Clark and Ellen Griswold. Jason Lively and Dana Hill play Rusty and Audrey, looking and acting much goofier than the first time. Beverly D'Angelo who I adore shines more in this sequel than she has in all the other films. Her song and dance number "Big Spender" in the bathroom is terrific! She has a great voice. (She also sang all the songs in the movie Coal Miner's Daughter when she played Patsy Cline.) Other highlights in the film are on the plane trip to Europe when each Griswold has their own fantasy dream (including the Royal Family, "Some Like it Hot," and a rendition of The Sound of Music) or food nightmare in Audrey's case. In London, Clark unknowingly abuses the man at the hotel who is trying to help them with their bags and then he mistakingly gets in bed with a hairy-legged woman who won't let go. The next day they get in multiple car wrecks, hit a biker (Eric Idle) and an unlucky visit to Stonehenge ruins a piece of English history. In Paris, a dog jumps off the Eiffel Tower, Clark and Ellen find Rusty checking out the French culture at a seedy nightclub with a hooker and the family gets insulted by a waiter speaking in French. In Germany, the Griswold's visit the wrong relatives, Clark gets into a fist fight at a German beer festival and then chased out of town by an angry mob. In Rome, the Griswold's get to try out some Italian fashions to a cool number and after Ellen is kidnapped from a thief at the traveler's check store, a chase ensues through the streets to save her! This movie is great fun to watch. I'm not sure how anyone could not like it. If you don't constantly compare it to the original or Christmas Vacation, it is an 80's classic in its own right. Lindsey Buckingham's "Holiday Road" is still present and over the end credits "Back in America" by Network. Plus Beverly gets to do some actual work here! On the commentary for Christmas Vacation, even she admitted all she provided for that film was her many different hairstyles.
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An Absolute Classic
Added 7/18/2008
This movie is a classic, simply put. Yes, it does have a cheesy 80s humor to it, but that only adds to it. Clark Griswold reminds me of my own dad with his clueless, somewhat unintentional I-know-whats-best attitude. I've watched this movie countless times before and I still find it refreshing and brilliant each time I see it.
I highly recommend seeing this movie, however in the unedited version.
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