Anyone over 40 likely remembers 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation with great fondness. Starring Chevy Chase at the peak of his career, the movie tracked the Griswold family on an ill-fated journey to the fictional Walley World adventure park. The R-rated movie was bawdy, to be sure, but it was relatable and tender at its core. The new Vacation, a remake of sorts, follows a similar storytelling arc, but with half the sweetness and double the potty humor. Ed Helms of The Hangover fame stars as Rusty Griswold, who is determined to give his family the Walley World vacation his father previously failed to deliver. Like the original, most of this nearly two-hour movie is scenes of the family getting into one silly predicament after another. In the hands of comedy master John Hughes, the original expertly walked the line between low-brow and sophisticated humor. The pair of first-time writers on the Vacation reboot, however, never rise above basic bathroom humor (two scenes are dedicated to one poop joke). People hoping the film is a trip down memory lane will appreciate the cameos and inside jokes, but are likely to leave disappointed and itching to rewatch the original.
Should You See It? Probably not.
Viewed at Wehrenberg Ronnies 20 Cine
