Released in 1983, National Lampoon’s Vacation would be the first of the Vacation movies to be released over the next several years. This is a real comedy classic and when you think of Chevy Chase, you think of Clark Griswold. Written by John Hughes, directed by Harold Ramis, and starring Chevy Chase, it is no wonder that this movie turned out as good as it did.
How to Download National Lampoon’s Vacation
National Lampoon’s Vacation was released on July 29, 1983. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like the film, check out also our reviews of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) and Vacation (2015).
The Movie Review
I do have to say that out of all the National Lampoon’s Vacation movies, I would put this one at number two as National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is my favorite and also my all time favorite Christmas movie. However, this is still a fun family road trip movie about a man who just wants to have the perfect family vacation and even when stuff constantly goes wrong, he refuses to throw in the towel.
Clark Griswold’s Dream Vacation
Clark Griswold is a devoted family man, but he wants to spend more time with his family. Clark decides that a family trip to the greatest theme park in America is the way to go. Rather than flying, Clark decides that a family road trip from Chicago (this is a John Hughes story after all) to California is a great way to bond as a family and make some long lasting memories.
Road Trip Mishaps and Comedy Gold
Clark, Ellen, Rusty and Audrey pile in the old station wagon and make their way to California. Pretty much nothing goes right for the Griswold clan right from the start! They end up in a rough neighborhood and hearing Clark say “roll ’em up” cracks me up every time I watch this movie.
Memorable Stops Along the Way
From run-ins with the laws and a hot blonde in a Ferrari, National Lampoon’s Vacation has so many memorable moments. However, I would argue that nothing is more memorable than the stop at Cousin Eddie’s place. Randy Quaid as Eddie is an all time favorite character of mine! The thing is the trip to Eddie’s is made even worse as they agree to take the mean old Aunt Edna and drop her off in Phoenix… only she dies before they get there and they tie her to the freaking roof!
Wally World: The Ultimate Destination
As they finally pull into Wally World you truly think that all this has been worth it and Clark is going to get his big family vacation that he has dreamed of….. but this is the Griswold’s we are talking about and nothing ever goes that smoothly. While it is so great to laugh at all the mishaps Clark and his family have, you do feel for the guy as his heart is in the right place and he truly does want to have this epic family vacation.
The 40th Anniversary 4K Release
I got the National Lampoon’s Vacation 40th Anniversary 4K set and it is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the 4K transfer is fantastic, it is a clear step up from the Blu-Ray and that was not the case for Christmas Vacation which only looked marginally better than the Blu-Ray. However, while getting the physical goodies was cool, the extras on the disc are really lacking for an anniversary release as they are the same extras I am pretty sure were on the original DVD! Still, no matter how you watch this movie, be it in 4K, streaming, heck you can did out the old VHS if you want, you are in for one hell of a fun time.
