Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
The Griswolds win a vacation to Europe on a game show, and so pack their bags for the continent. They do their best to catch the flavor of Europe, but they just don't know how to be be good tourists. Besides, they have trouble taking holidays in countries where they CAN speak the language.
European Vacation is a largely by-the-numbers sequel that recycles the fish-out-of-water Griswold formula without the inspired set-pieces or emotional grounding of the original Vacation. Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are likable and committed, elevating the material somewhat, but the episodic structure feels thin and the European locales are used superficially. Cinematography is functional at best, capturing tourist landmarks without any distinctive visual flair. Novelty is low — it's essentially the same premise transplanted to a new geography with diminishing returns, following a formulaic sequel blueprint. The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying, wrapping up without any real payoff to the chaos that preceded it.