Movie Review: Vacation (2015)

Vacation (2015)
Warner Bros., BenderSpink/ Big Kid Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, David Dobkin Productions, New Line Cinema, USA, 2015.

This chapter introduces Griswold family's new generation. Dad Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) is a pilot in cheap airline company. Mom Debbie Griswold (Christina Applegate) is bored and the boys artistic James (Skyler Gisondo) and bratty Kevin (Steele Stebbins) are always fighting. Rusty tries to make his family happier by taking them to road trip to theme park in the spirit of Rusty's childhood trip 30 years earlier with his dad Clark (Chevy Chase). Maybe some quality time together will make the family members closer. First they rent the pride of Albanian car industry, minivan Tartan Prancer. 

The Griswolds

Tartan Prancer

Don't press swastika

On the way they meet scary trucker, Debbie visits her old college and attends Chug Run and they visit terrible motels. After some misadventures they visit Rusty's sister Audrey (Leslie Mann) and her semi-celebrity weather forecaster husband Stone (Chris Hemsworth). The ideal couple seems to have everything Rusty and Debbie do not have, cool ranch and virile sex life. The Griswolds try also paddling with funny guy instructor Chad (Charlie Day). Everything goes wrong but nothing can stop Rusty's quest for a fun vacation even if it leads to marriage crisis!

Audrey and Stone

Chad

Clark and Ellen Griswold (Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo)

Basically the story continues the National Lampoon's Vacation tradition of putting the characters to increasingly awkward situations. It offers a hilarious but also occasionally raunchy ride. There are really funny bits and some yucky bits, overall it was funnier than I expected it would be. The new version has couple of excrement jokes too many in the beginning but gets better later. Some of the humour is quite dark but also the original "Vacation" had some black humour. Amusing characters pop out during the trip, my favourite was the guy with a rat (Ryan Cartwright). Rusty's lack of situational awareness causes many laughs, continuing Chevy Chase's legacy. Audrey is bit out of character compared to earlier films and has turned into Texan trophy wife. Stars of the original Vacations Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo and also the station wagon make an appearance. For some reason some amusing sequences in Burning Man- festival and also subplot involving Stone's weather forecasting career killer were cut. 

Rating: Good 

Starring: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Chris Hemsworth, Leslie Mann, Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Charlie Day, Catherine Missal, Ron Livingston, Norman Reedus, Keegan-Michael Key, Regina Hall, Emyri Crutchfield, Alkoya Brunson, Nick Kroll, Tim Heidecker, Kaitlin Olson, Michael Peña, Hannah Davis, David Clennon, Colin Hanks, Kirstin Ford, Ethan Maher, Elizabeth Gillies, Cristina Squyres, Nadine Avola, Ryan Cartwright, Valerie Payton, O'Clair Alexander, Miles Doleac, Holly Gardner, R.F. Daley, Elizabeth Fendrick, Michael H. Cole, Brooke Jaye Taylor, Matt Cornwell, Mitchell Warren, John Francis Daley, Rick Ericson, Jonathan M. Goldstein, Emily Kincaid, Carla Shinall 

Directors: John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein