Author: Chris Snelgrove Published
What if one of the most popular series from the 80s had a sequel and you didn’t even know about it? Decades ago, Chevy Chase made headlines national lampoon’s vacation and its sequels, including my personal favorite, national lampoon’s christmas vacation. If you want to check out the latest entry in this killer comedy series, you’re in luck: the raunchy, underrated holiday (2015) is now streaming on Netflix.
The premise is holiday Growing up in his own family, Rusty Griswold decided to continue the family tradition and take them all to Wally World, just like his father once took him. Unfortunately, just like his father, Rusty continues to cause trouble for his family by taking crazy detours in the name of a fun road trip. The trials and tribulations of this trip might just bring the family closer… assuming it doesn’t completely drive them apart, of course!
Meeting the Griswolds again
Cast holiday Among them were some of the biggest names in the Griswold family: Ed Helms (best known as the Hangover) plays Rusty Griswold, a patriarch who wants to take his family on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Christina Applegate (best known as Don’t tell mom the babysitter is dead and Married…with children) plays his wife, a bored mom who secretly has a troubled past. Their eldest son is played by Skyler Gisondo, whose career is currently flourishing as Jimmy Olsen on “Jimmy Olsen.” Superman (2025).
holidaySupporting roles include It’s always sunny in Philadelphia alums Charlie Day (as a rafting guide who doesn’t care whether he lives or dies) and Kaitlin Olson (as a fretful cop). Norman Reedus, best known for his work The Walking DeadMemorably, he plays a creepy truck driver who is either the Griswold family’s best friend or their worst nightmare, while Chris Hemsworth (best known for playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) plays Rusty’s brother-in-law, who can’t stop showing off his body. Rounding out the film are original National Lampoon stars Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo, both of whom make the most of their limited screen time.
Holidays, all viewers want?
at the box office, holiday It grossed $107.2 million at the box office against a budget of just $31 million. Although this was nowhere near as profitable as Ed Helms’ other films, e.g. the HangoverThe box office success of “Holiday” proves that there’s still a market for the kind of off-kilter comedy that made Chevy Chase’s original “Holiday” movie so memorable. Unfortunately, while casual moviegoers loved the movie, critics hated watching “The Vacation” the same way Clark Griswold loved seeing Cousin Eddie in his front yard.
Call up holiday Underrated is an understatement: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film only has a dismal 27% rating. Critics mostly complained that the film borrowed the road trip structure of earlier National Lampoon vacation movies and wasn’t as charming or entertaining. Overall, they complained that the film was a nostalgia piece without any real improvement over the previous films.
Don’t call it a comeback
Still, the film is undergoing something of a cult revival in the more than a decade since its release. Since its recent addition, it has been in the top 10 of Netflix charts, beating out other popular comedies such as despicable me 3 and The secret life of pets Ranking dropped. Besides, if you cast stones online, there’s no way you won’t click on a social media post from an ardent new fan talking about how the holidays are grossly underrated.
Why would I suggest you watch Vacation, a movie that was so poorly received, besides being a huge hit on Netflix? Basically, if you can let go of the expectation that this movie will feel like a rip-off of an ’80s National Lampoon movie, then you’ll probably have a great time. That’s because the new movie is almost there is nothing Like a Chevy Chase movie: it’s vulgar rather than suggestive, vulgar rather than witty, over-the-top rather than subtle.
Surprisingly fun sequel
It may sound like I’m damning this movie with faint praise, but these qualities make holiday Surprisingly funny: The film continually subverted my expectations and made me laugh out loud. While the supporting cast occasionally disappoints (I was particularly bored by Charlie Day and Kaitlin Olsen, both of whom were it’s always sunny), there is so much chemistry between the core cast that they truly feel like a strange but loving family. You might find yourself singing “Kiss From a Rose” with them as the end credits roll (which is, uh, a long story).
do you agree holiday Hilarious and underrated, or would you rather see this road trip ruined in a horrific Wally World roller coaster accident? You won’t know until your finger moves to the nearest remote and plays this quirky classic on Netflix. It’s not exactly fun for the whole family, but if you want an escape from your family’s raunchiness and debauchery, you can’t go wrong with this raunchy comedy.
