One of the funniest movies of 1997, Vegas Vacation lives up to the high level of comic relief expected from this ongoing series by National Lampoon. Although it falls on the low end of fun when compared to Vacation, European Vacation, and Christmas Vacation, the movie is nonetheless a non-stop comedy that gets belly laughs in its own right. After all, how can we expect anything to live up to quintessential comedy genius like the Christmas holiday? Complete with a brand new set of kids, Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo once again form a charming onscreen comedy duo…
When Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) gets a big bonus as a corporate reward for inventing a new food preservative, he and his wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) decide the money will be best spent on an old-fashioned family vacation. But when kids Rusty (Ethan Embry) and Audrey (Marisol Nichols) squabble over a destination, the only place that gets unanimous opinions from the family is a Las Vegas vacation.
Traveling to Vegas, the family encounters a series of pitfalls that threaten to tear them apart forever. Clark becomes addicted to gambling (even gambling on rock-paper-scissors and a man doing the “I’m Thinking of a Number Between One and Ten” routine at a low-rent Eddine casino), Elaine becomes the target of Wayne Newton’s seduction, underage Rusty becomes a star gambler under the false identity of Nicholas Papageorgiou, and Audrey tries to dance her hand with a strange sweat die (Randy Quaid) performs another theatrical performance as a redneck relative, dumber than a doorknob, as he casts a shadow on Clark around the casinos while generously sipping his favorite drink – a 30-ounce can of Busch Light.
The funniest scenes in the movie involve Eddie (as always) and his trash family, who now live in a trailer on a plot of land Eddie bought on the cheap because it’s a graveyard for nuclear waste. And Rusty’s various exploits under the pseudonym Nick Papageorgiou are very entertaining. Rusty meets a group of quasi-mafiosi and professional gamblers, enjoying massages, combination wings, and many of the frills associated with the biggest names in the business. Vegas Vacation is just downright funny. If you liked the previous movies, don’t miss this one…
Continuing the stellar reputation of the Vacation movie series, Vegas Vacation is pure entertainment fun from start to finish. Chevy Chase returns to his usual antics, and Wayne Newton delivers a classic in his role as the Griswold home wrecker. Family friendly, Vegas Vacation is a comedy designed for both parents and children alike. And his role as another showrunner in Griswold’s comedy series also makes Vegas Vacation a must-watch…