SparkMore
n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.
Tyreece Hulme
One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
Jakoba
True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.
methodman-14473
I try to watch this movie every couple of years and it always cheers me up and takes me back to times gone by.
mmallon4
The noble all American pursuit of taking your family on vacation (or holiday as we call it in the UK); that is the ultimate aim of Clark Griswold. Chevy Chase is Clark Griswold in one of those roles which is so identified with one actor. He's such a family man in an extreme yet subtly comic way with is repressed frustration making him a ticking time bomb. He's a proponent of the American dream if there ever was one; an unashamedly white Anglo Saxon protestant who takes family ideals a little too far at times.Vacation is my favourite John Hughes movie and a very American movie at that. You can't do this in the UK; here you can hop in your car and you will be at the other end of the country in a day. It seems like the idea of a road trip was designed for the vast open country of the United States in which you drive for days on end. However the theme of vacation (or holiday) frustration is relatable to anyone who has been on vacation. As Clark puts it "When I was a boy just about every summer we would take a vacation, and you know in 18 years, we never had fun". Even the most out there jokes such as the car still moving while Clark has fallen asleep at the wheel or the death of the aunt still manage to feel relatable to some degree and remain grounded in reality.Road movies give some of the best opportunity to create great mounts of character development and I feel there are few other writers in cinema history who had the ability to generate so much character development within such a short space of time than John Hughes; and like The Blues Mobile of The Blues Brothers, the car in Vacation is a character itself. As seen in many of Hughes' film, the kids and/or young people are fully sexually aware (In Vacation Rusty's cousin teaches him about masturbation for the first time) which I find liberating to watch as Hughes is a writer who treats young people like adults with themes which were explored further in films like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club. Sigh, why wasn't I a child of the 80's?Vacation is one of the most summery movies; watch it during the cold months of the year to escape the winter blues.
Leofwine_draca
NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION is the first and undoubtedly the best of the NATIONAL LAMPOON series, a genuinely funny road movie with strong performances and first-rate direction from GHOSTBUSTERS star Harold Ramis. The plot adopts a simple journey narrative and one which would be repeated for the sequel European VACATION; the long-suffering Griswold family go from place to place, wreaking havoc all the while.There's a strong mixture of different types of humour here, from end-of-their-tether character laughs to slapstick gags and plenty of wisecracks and innuendo. Much of the humour is witty and it also has a fairly dark edge that makes it stand out from the usual John Hughes-scripted family fare, particularly the bits with Randy Quaid, the dog, and the aunt. The movie belongs to Chevy Chase, who is very entertaining in the lead role, but there are a handful of supporting performers who don't disappoint either. Beverly D'Angelo, in a MUCH racier role than she played in the sequels, sparks off Chase very well, and there's a late-stage cameo from John Candy which continues to delight. In fact, there's very little to dislike overall about this popular '80s comedy.
RustyShacklefordd
Don't get me wrong Vacation is an enjoyable and funny movie, but it isn't exactly the classic comedy that some have made it out to be.The concept of the ultimate family vacation is executed well and anyone who's ever been on a less than stellar vacation will be able to relate to it. Chevy Chase is the best thing about the film and he has a real gift for delivery and comedic timing. It's hard to picture the film working quite as well with another actor in the lead role. The humor is very much in the vein of comedies of the 80's being silly and completely over-the-top. While the majority of the humor works, there are a few gross-out gags and repetition of jokes that don't work well that keep the movie from being great. Vacation is a lot fun and has more than a few laughs to over, but it's simplicity makes it a bit forgettable. Maybe it's lost some of it's charm since it was released it the 80's, but it's still a very enjoyable comedy that's worth watching. I'd still say that Christmas Vacation sit the best of the series though.
