Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
It's Christmastime, and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration. But things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen, and their two kids. Clark's continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going, knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a beloved holiday comedy but largely formulaic in structure — a series of escalating disaster gags built around the hapless Clark Griswold. The plot is thin and episodic, stringing together set pieces rather than building a coherent narrative. Chevy Chase anchors the film with committed physical comedy and the ensemble (including Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie) delivers solid genre work, earning a respectable acting score. Cinematography is functional holiday-comedy fare with no particular visual ambition. As the third Griswold vacation film, novelty is limited — it recycles the franchise's core formula in a holiday setting. The ending, however, delivers satisfying comedic payoff and catharsis that has helped cement the film as a seasonal classic.