The 1983 comedy “National Lampoon's Vacation” gets a reboot in a new film. Ed Helms and Christina Applegate star, as the Griswald family hits the road to Wallyworld theme park. Time Warner Cable News film critic Neil Rosen filed the following review.
In 1983, “National Lampoon's Vacation” hit movie theatres. The comedy spawned several sequels, but now, 32 years later, the original film gets a reboot. It is simply called “Vacation.”
Rusty, the young son from the first movie, is all grown up now and wants his family to relive his childhood road trip to the theme park, Wallyworld.
Ed Helms plays Rusty Griswald and Christina Applegate is his wife. Along with their two boys, they hit the road in a dopey car and of course there are tons of mishaps that occur almost every step of the way.
The new “Vacation” movie is a lot of things: crude, rude and obvious. However, one thing it is not: funny. Simply put, it's a mainly humorless debacle filled with endless idiotic scenes. In addition, you can see all the raunchy gags coming a mile away.
One gross-out sequence finds the Griswald clan swimming in what they initially believe to be a healthy hot springs watering hole, but in actuality it's a toxic raw sewage dump.
Chris Hemsworth and Leslie Mann show up briefly, but their talents are wasted. Then there's the star of the original, Chevy Chase, who only pops in for a two minute cameo.
I am not a huge fan of the 1983 film, but at least it had some heart as well as a few amusing moments. The only person who is funny here is Steel Stebbins, who plays the bullying younger brother. This kid did manage to make me laugh whenever he was on screen.
As far as Helms and Applegate, they seem to be straining with the mediocre material and the harder they work, the more forced and desperate the entire movie seems.
Even if you are a fan of the other “Vacation” movies, you are going to be disappointed here.
Neil Rosen’s Big Apple Rating:
One Apple