For many of us, National Lampoon’s Vacation is a sacred cow of cinematic comedy. The first thing you should know about the Ed Helms-starring Vacation is that for fans of the ’80s classic, it simultaneously pays homage to the Chevy Chase-starring original while striking out on its own.
Technically, Vacation is not a reboot. It is more of a sequel, one could call it. Helms stars as Rusty Griswold and his family is in kind of a vacation rut. They go to the same cabin year after year, and go through the motions of having a good time. Recalling his warm feelings for his childhood trip with good old dad and mom (Beverly D’Angelo), he decides to take his family (including wife Debbie, played by Christina Applegate) to Walleyworld in California — because the first time was so… fun.
Reluctantly, the family agrees to go and piles into his rented “car,” the Albanian-produced Prancer (that is a fantastic running joke, even more than the first film’s family trickster!) and they drive from Chicago to California with a slew of hijinks and hilarity along the way.
First off, Helms is a fantastic choice to play Rusty. He has elements of Chase’s Clark that would make perfect sense as he is a chip off the old block. Yet, Helms strikes out on his own in a multitude of ways as Rusty, all while sharing one common element with his father — they just want some quality family time.
Writing team Jonathan M. Goldstein and John Francis Daley (Horrible Bosses) make their directing debut in addition to penning a script that produces many, many laugh-out-loud moments. The duo have a firm grasp of the Vacation mythology that has endeared the franchise to millions over the years. And as we said before, that is why fans of the series should take this vacation firmly knowing that the adoration for the comedic family vacation will continue with Helms, Applegate and the two brilliantly cast kids — Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins.
There is also a slew of appearances that are slightly more than cameos throughout Vacation that only add to its hilarity quotient. Charlie Day, Ron Livingston, Norman Reedus, Keegan-Michael Key, Regina Hall, Michael Pena and Colin Hanks are just a few who enhance Daley and Goldstein’s silly summer sojourn.
But the leader of the supporting actor pack comes from a surprising place. Chris Hemsworth stars as Rusty’s sister Audrey’s husband, Stone Crandall. His Texas good ole boy is nothing short of comedy gold — from his Lone Star state accent and demeanor to a bedroom scene with a prosthetic that may introduce a joke, but it is the Australian’s surprising comedy talents that sell the scene and make it one of the film’s funniest.
Chase and D’Angelo do appear as well and are the lynchpin that get our Griswold family vacation 2015 to its finish. The pair haven’t missed a beat in the decades and seamlessly get back into those beloved characters. Their appearance in Vacation is also further proof that there is a seal of approval from the past for the present.
Vacation is not a perfect comedy, but in a summer that has been lacking a slew of solid humor-filled films, it is a fresh breath of air to see a beloved franchise get a shot in the arm.
Grade: B-