National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 1989
I got a free digital copy of this movie from Xfinity and, since it is December, thought it would make for a light watch. It seems like this should be a better movie. Chevy Chase is funny, right? John Hughes, who made Home Alone the next year, wrote it. But it is never good. It isn't awful, maybe. Chase has no ability to act and unfortunately his character requires some range, surprisingly also needing some emotional depth, which is lacking, consisting mostly of bugging his eyes some. John Hughes was great at grandparents in Sixteen Candles, but these are the most generic grandparents ever, even though one set is E. G. Marshall and Doris Roberts, an amazing combo. The movie focuses almost entirely on Chase, with the rest of the cast providing minimal support, other than maybe Randy Quaid as his crazy brother-in-law. There is no real plot, just a series of mishaps, usually involving some kind of Three Stooges type of physical humor, but they don't even get that right. The worst thing is the movie is just lifeless and boring, which I think is mostly the fault of the director, Jeremiah Chechik, who doesn't seem to understand comedy. It does keep moving quickly from one setup to the next so it isn't boring at least. It might be funnier if you know the funny parts and therefore can appreciate them as they show up, but I was quite unimpressed.
Written: 04 Dec 2024
Owned on: Digital