Christmas Vacation is a Christmas movie about the Griswold family and their annual Griswold Christmas tradition. It’s the perfect way to get in the holiday spirit and is full of wacky set-pieces that you won’t be able to forget!
Chevy Chase’s character Clark Griswold is on a mission to make his family’s annual Christmas celebration the best ever. When his plan goes awry, everything comes crashing down around him and it’s up to Clark to find a way to fix the situation.
While this is the third and last Griswold movie to be branded National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, it is actually one of the better films in the series. The film is a fun mix of old-fashioned holiday fun and pratfalls and Chevy Chase has great comic timing in this one!
It’s not just about the slapstick though; there are some very serious issues here, as well. It’s also one of the few Griswold movies that isn’t completely PG-13. The movie includes some mature topics, including gore, violence, language, sex, and romance. It’s not a movie for the entire family, but it can be watched with young children if you’re concerned about some of the content.
If you’re a big fan of this classic Christmas movie, you can buy a combo pack on Blu-ray and DVD. It has upgraded video and audio as well as the original theatrical trailer.
The film is a perennial favorite and it’s fun to see how it’s evolved over the years. Director Jeremiah Chechik has a lot of fun taking all the familiar family and Christmas traditions and accentuating them in a way that only the Griswolds could.
Despite all the silly stuff, there are a few scenes that are still hilarious and that you’ll be unable to stop laughing at. These include the scenes in which a giant icicle shoots through a window of Clark’s neighbors Todd (Nicholas Guest) and Margo Chester.
You’ll also love the scene in which a family member re-enacts an entire episode of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It’s a fun and memorable moment that will always be remembered.
There are a few other notable moments as well, such as a scene in which Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) comes into the family home to surprise Clark with gifts for Christmas. His character is supposed to get under Clark’s skin, but he just seems so inept and unfunny that it’s hard to believe this came from the mind of a real human being.
It’s the same problem with the rest of the cast, as well. While there’s some fun moments in this movie, the majority of the cast just doesn’t have the chops to pull off the material.
While Chevy Chase was a good actor, it’s a shame that the popularity of his characters didn’t extend into more serious roles like Bill Murray did in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” His appeal faded in the 90s and he eventually passed away from a heart attack. However, his performances in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and the sequels have made him a household name.
