I feel like I grew up on the original National Lampoon’s Vacation, and to some extent European Vacation as well. Not just watching the movies, but they seemed like they were about my life. We did road trips to amusement parks all the time, and I just felt like I had a connection to these movies. The first two are the only one’s I ever considered really amazing, and the rest were just beating a dead horse. So when you make a reboot of something that has already been done to death and is something that is part of our culture, it is going to be hard to get over. I think they have a little bit of leeway with Vacation however, because there is not a lot of lore, or story arc. The kids were never the same, and it was just a comedy, and it played out more like a sequel. They did it right, a reboot that was actually a sequel.
So if you have seen the red band trailer, you know this movie is rated R and at least looks pretty funny. I would say this is exactly my review of the movie. It is Rated R and is pretty funny. It isn’t going to win any awards and I had a fun time watching it. I really like Christina Applegate, and I really liked that they had the woman doing some of the slapstick stuff, and making some bad decisions as well. Equal rights for all idiots! It was done very well. It stood on it’s own and I could see this becoming a new franchise, as long as they keep up with the R rating and don’t water it down. This movie also has one of the best opening credits sequences I have even seen, so make sure you are in your seat before the movie starts.
This is not the best comedy of the year, but it also isn’t a waste of time. I would say even paying for this movie might be worth it, if you are looking for a comedy and already saw Trainwreck. If you are looking for action though this weekend Mission Impossible wins out over Vacation.
