2015’s Vacation was the legacy sequel to the Vacation line of movies, and since I loved the original films starring Chevy Chase … I didn’t see it. Why ruin a good thing? However, with the release of the Vacation 4K UHD and having loved directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, I figured I’d give it a chance. You know what? While it’s not Daley and Goldstein’s best work, it’s actually a lot of fun.
“The next generation of Griswolds is at is again — and on the road for another ill-fated adventure. Following in his father’s footsteps, a grown-up Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) surprises his wife, Debbie (Christina Applegate), and their sons with a cross-country road trip back to America’s ‘favorite family fun park,’ Walley World,” says the official description of the Vacation 4K.
First off, the film has a good meta sense of humor about Rusty’s desire to take his family to Walley World. “We’re not redoing anything,” Ed Helms’ Rusty says before telling his son that it doesn’t matter that he hasn’t heard of the original vacation as “the new vacation will stand on its own.” It’s a good way to approach the film, as it’s not a classic like 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation, but it leverages its history well and has plenty of well-written jokes that deliver laughs. That seems good enough to me. After all, why else are we watching a comedy movie if not to laugh?
Besides some sharp writing, what makes Vacation worth a watch is the incredible cast. Both Helms and Applegate are entertaining as the leads, although the supporting cast really shines. Leslie Mann’s Audrey and Chris Hemsworth, who plays her husband, are particularly hilarious. It’s also great seeing Chase and Beverly D’Angelo again as Clark and Ellen. Throw in some fun appearances by Charlie Day, Ron Livingston, Tim Heidecker, and Keegan-Michael Key, and you’ve got a more than entertaining romp with a familiar setup and some enjoyable callbacks.
The Vacation 4K looks great, although there aren’t a ton of benefits to the sharper image for a rather standard comedy. It does have a good number of special features, although there’s no commentary track. These include 12 minutes of deleted scenes, a hilarious gag reel, a 10-minute “Return to Walley World” feature that focuses on living up to the franchise’s legacy, an 18-minute video going over the filming, and a two-minute featurette praising Georgia (where it was filmed). It won’t change your mind if you don’t like the movie, but I had a good time checking out the well-produced bonus content.
Vacation 4K Review: Final Verdict
It’s not as good as the film that inspired it — very few comedy movies are — but 2015’s Vacation is a more than serviceable movie to put on that will make you laugh. Helms and Applegate lead the worthy sequel, while Mann and Hemsworth steal scenes. Daley and Goldstein have yet to direct a bad movie, and the Vacation 4K is a reminder of that.
Disclosure: ComingSoon received the product from the distributor for our Vacation 4K review.