Sadly Over-hyped

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

From my favorite movies..

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Mayhem ensues when the Griswolds go to Las Vegas in this fourth film in the 'Vacation' franchise. Chevy Chase is solid as always and Wallace Shawn has a fun extended cameo this time round as a condescending croupier, but with minimal road trip elements here, the dynamic is not quite as juicy as the first or even second film. The plot basically consists of each member of the Griswold clan having their own individual Vegas experiences, and while there is quite a bit of oddball humour in how Rusty makes it as a gambling king, there is not a lot of interest in Audrey becoming a Vegas dancer, Ellen being seduced by Wayne Netwon or Clark's gambling debt woes (Shawn's role in the matter aside). The recasting of the kids (yet again) also works against the film; while Marisol Nichols and Ethan Embry are both older than the characters they are playing, they don't look it, while Chase - with grey hair now - looks older than ever. Randy Quaid also has far too much screen time for his own good as the abrasive cousin Eddie and it is hard to know what to make of a scene in which Quaid and Chase visit an outskirts casino with "what number am I thinking of" gambling games. The solution to Chase's gambling woes comes a little too easily too. There are, however, enough scattered good moments here to make the film possibly worth a look. The return of the blonde in a convertible (from the first film) is a nice touch, some dam wordplay surprisingly works well, a sun-roof incident is quite funny and what a way the film depicts to obtain a fake ID!

The final installment to the Griswald family's madcap misadventures, they're just as funny as the other three outrageous film before this one, as Clark, Ellen, Audrey and Rusty are out to stir trouble for themselves and everyone else surrounding them only this time the stakes are higher in the 1997 film "Vegas Vacation." The laughs are gut- bursting, and the hot Nevada desert is the perfect resort to capture just how zany and outrageous the Griswalds can be. Sure it's good to watch one in a blue moon, after seeing the same gags over and over again, it does loses its flavour like a piece of chewing gum and you can easily become bored after a while. The film is truly a follow-up to "Christmas Vacation" as Clark finally got his big bonus from his marketing business after his newly invented cereal bars are a success and decides to use his money to his advantage and brings his wife and kids with him where they'll go on a frenzy gambling and living the life on Easy Street. During their stay, the Griswalds venture on their own to see what fortune comes their way. Such scenes involves legendary crooner Wayne Newton trying to get it on with Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo). Clark and the kids have their moments as well. Sure the Griswald family follow the same path as the other three installments, but that's because of their inept ways of life, they have managed to make us laugh. We all come to see them struggle, fail and try to move up only to still remain left behind, but we love them for that and that is what keeps their fans from coming into theatres for. We were all shocked to see Clark as he dangles off Hoover Dam and crashing through Wayne Newton's house with the van.The movie is very rich because the film is unpredictable. You think that they slowed the tempo down in "Christmas Vacation", but think again, the falls, the slapstick humour is still effective as we await for every gag to takes its shape and every way for the Griswalds to bend it. The laughs continue and never gets bored the first time seeing it at least, but after multiple viewing it loses its flavour like chewing gum. Clark and the gang had their moments of laugh-till-your-stomach- bursts moments, however, the funniest scenes will involve the funniest supporting player to the Griswold clan. I'm talking about Randy Quaid's Cousin Eddie. From the first and third installments (he wasn't in "European Vacation"), he was always a dynamic character and the reason why is that even though he's dumber than rocks, his heart is in the right place and looks out for Clark even in the the most dire situations. But his redneck ways and caring charm puts a light touch to someone's heart. This film isn't without its weaknesses. For one thing if you seen the other three Griswald adventures you seen them all. The madcap over- the-top slapstick humour has been done many times before and many times better. Even the dialogue and the facial expressions have all been executed in the very same pattern. But hey, what do I expect this film was going to be, a life-changing drama? Hell, no this is "National Lampoon" baby, so the film should be about overdosing in slapstick comedy so why spoil a good thing.Another fault is why was Wayne Newton playing a pivotal part in the film. Sure he's a respective singer and I would have been okay if he played a cameo role in the film. But as a supporting character, he was just plain awful. He was just playing himself, a sleazy Vegas singer who had the hots for Ellen.Usually in the other three films I laughed with the family, but in "Vegas Vacation", I couldn't help but feel sorry for them, especially from the kids (who looked too old to play the parts of Audrey and Rusty). The lack of chemistry is missing in this film because the kids and the parents seem to go their own separate ways. I thought it angered me that Clark kept forgetting his daughter's name most of the time (making her feel like the black sheep of the family a la Meg Griffin from "Family Guy"). I also felt that there was a lot of parental negligence as the kids Audrey and Rusty found themselves in dangerous predicaments. It was also very angering that Clark spent over $23,000 of his bonus money on gambling when he should have done as he promised in "Christmas Vacation" was to install a swimming pool. It made me think where's social services when you need them feeling I got. Surely a family could not have been this dysfunctional. But though it all it still succeeds in providing you with non-stop gags and having you laughing the whole way through. Overall this movie is by far a terrible movie. The laughs are plentiful and you'll surely have a good time and Randy Quaid was wonderful as Cousin Eddie. I would recommend it as a comedy and really nothing more than that.

I'm glad we got to see one more of these Vacation films. I admit, I am a big fan of them, only this time it's a saggy one, where too many gags misfire on the account of them not riding on much, or being really feeble or just unfunny bits, where I dare say, lazy writing was involved. Clark now looks older and again, his kids are replaced by two more actors, the daughter, a really cute Audrey. This time they're off to Vegas, and you know what that means, if you know Clark. We're reunited with cousin Eddy, (Quaid) who provides some relief in the laughter department (almost every scene of his is funny) and too, Wayne Newton, is making the moves on Ellen. Would you believe too, Christie Brinkley returns as that hottie in a sports car + baby. Rusty ends up working as a mobster, while Audrey's introduced to cage dancing. When Clark, turned around his misfortune at the end, picketing that raffle tickle off the floor, after that old codger bought, had me rolling my eyes. This Vacation was sloppy, where as I said, too many gags misfire, where may'be this Vacation came too late. It was just weak on the whole, and I mean it's city of preference, Vegas. I'm with the kid's despondent looks. The return of that original track, Holiday Road, didn't sit well either, with the Griswald's trip to the Hoover Dam. They should of done an Aussie Vaction. Just think of all the damage Clark would of done there.

This installment of the comedy classic Vacation series is often regarded as "the worst in the series". That couldn't be further from the truth. This is my second favorite in the entire franchise next to the original film. Vegas Vacation was watched by me countless times in the late nineties when I was very young, and really didn't know what the characters were discussing, or even saying for that matter. Along with Fools Rush In, this was my favorite film in my childhood.I recently ran into the National Lampoon's Vacation Collection on Amazon for about $25. What the hell? I'll pay that. I had already watched the first two, and really wanted to dive into the third and rewatch this (keep in mind, at the time, it had been around nine years since I had seen the film). I recently ran into it on Comedy Central, and there was the question again; "what the hell?" The Griswold Family returns to the screen, this time taking a family vacation to Las Vegas. While it isn't much of a family-friendly place, Clark (Chase) and Rusty (Embry) are more than happy to head there and have a damn good time. They even stop at Cousin Eddie's house (Quaid) for more fun, but soon enough, they wind up taking him to Vegas unexpectedly. Let the crazy, nonstop, unrealistic, comedy antics begin. Clark gambles away their money, the wife Ellen (D'Angelo) falls in love with Wayne Newton, Rusty gets a fake ID and wins big, and Audrey (played by the stunning and gorgeous Marisol Nichols) loosens up to become a dancer.It's nothing special, but back in the day, to a five year old, it was colorful, vibrant, jumpy, loud, and off it's own medicine. I loved it. I saw love at first sight when I saw Marisol Nichols play Audrey. Then when I grew older, I questioned if continuity was even brought up when making this sequel. The children look nothing like they did in the first three films. Rusty was an average looking guy, but in this one his a very handsome, grown individual. Audrey has the biggest change of all. She was the homely child in the first three, but in this one she's got black hair and is amazingly gorgeous. Puberty did her well.But who cares? The jokes are somewhat fresh, the scenes are classic (my favorite being the dam boring tour), and the characters return to give it their all once more. Hard to believe that this would be the last time we see these characters in the flesh until thirteen years later when Chevy and Beverly would appear in the short Hotel Hell Vacation. I suspected something like National Lampoon's Australian Vacation, But it was still nice to see them back at it one more time.Vegas Vacation isn't perfect. You could almost think of it has a hopelessly lost spin off that doesn't take too many new routes, or even has appropriately placed characters. It doesn't even have the National Lampoon's name in the title. My only theory is that Warner Bros. (the company that distributed every other Vacation film) wanted to make another film in the franchise. They probably suggested the idea of Vegas with high hopes, National Lampoon maybe scrapped it, and WB went on to do it by themselves with no endorsement of National Lampoon. After all, they do own a part of the name, might as well milk it.No matter, Vegas Vacation is a film I'm proud to call one of my favorite comedies, and my second favorite in the Vacation franchise.Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Ethan Embry, Marisol Nichols, and Randy Quaid. Directed by: Stephen Kessler.