National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)

Truly Dreadful Film

Excellent but underrated film

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

What happens when a moron takes a road trip around Europe.Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Dana Hill and Jason Lively.Written by John Hughes and Robert Klane,Directed by Amy Heckerling.I chose this oldie to watch on New Year's Eve with my family.It's a fun movie and kept us entertained while we waited for Big Ben to chime in the new year. We all had a good chuckle and I think we all enjoyed it. I don't know what was funnier, the script or the eighties clothes!A fun way to see in the New Year,7/10

European Vacation is a good movie with a well developed storyline a good comedic cast.I was certainly disappointed by this movie,because after seeing the first one,I thought seeing the Griswolds going to Europe would just be even more fun,but it wasn't,but this movie still is filled with some very funny scenes.Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are still in good form in this movie,and they are certainly the highlight,they are filled with positive energy and there is great chemistry between the two of them.I found Audrey,who is played by a different actor than she was in the first,was extremely annoying and certainly the worst part,she didn't make me laugh once.European Vacation is certainly disappointing,but fans of the first should still definitely enjoy.After entering a game show,the Griswolds win a trip to Europe,but while they're there one problem after another comes along.Best Performance: Chevy Chase Worst Performance: Dana Hill

I have to admit that until recently I believed I like this movie as much as "Vacation" and "Christmas Vacation",but I read several negative reviews about it and,after giving them a thought,I have to admit that they partially are right.Yes,this movie (and especially its stereotypes) is somewhat flat,sometimes even dumb.It's no masterpiece.But it's still worth watching it not only once,but several times.After all,its nevertheless a Griswold movie with Chevy Chase and Beverly d'Angelo!And I don't agree very much with the many critical comments on Dana Hill and Jason Lively (who played the Griswold's daughter and son)Yes,their characters in the film are annoying,nervy and sometimes obnoxious.But I think that's exactly how kids tend to be at the age both characters are designed to have in the movie.Their characters could be seen as the most realistic part of "European vacation" Maybe some people who watched this movie recognized their own children in these characters.I did,at least partially.As I recognized myself while remembering when I was as young as Rusty is in this movie.What concerns the national clichés the movie constantly harps upon: Yes,they are rather dumb,and,more important,unequal.It makes an "unbelievably small" difference whether you stereotypically portray people as ultra-polite/sex-loving or as lynch mob/mafiosi. After having had a short look on the director's biography I unfortunately have to suppose that this movie might reflect her personal clichés...For people who believe these stereotypes to be more or less reliable: At least at the time this movie was released (1985/86) it was the so polite Britons who in Europe had a reputation problem (due to their ultra violent hooligans-remember the Heysel stadium tragedy) Nevertheless the clichés in this movie appear rather harmless,especially regarding the movie's age (if someone wants to watch really dumb national stereotypes,I "recommend" the British "top gear")Where did the Schuhplattler dance take place IN THE MOVIE? (in reality these scenes were shot in Southern Tyrol,Italy,as you know) Well,I can only say that there are shown many little blue-white flags (blue-white the colors of Bavaria) and red-white flags (red-white the colors of Upper Austria,a federal state of Austria) And there's shown a big German (at that time only West-German!) flag (black-red-gold).So everybody can brood over it,if she or he wants...I suggest a Schuhplattler contest between Bavarian and Upper Austrian towns near the border.By the way,Hitler's birthplace Braunau is also a town near to the Upper Austrian/Bavarian border.A strange coincidence,isn't it? Therefore I suspect that the oddly high number of flags in this "Schuhplattler-town" is an allusion to the "Reichsparteitag" in Nuremberg...Finally,what concerns the nudity in this movie: Come on,this is "European vacation" and not "Saudi Arabian vacation"!

The Griswold family(Chevy Chase & Beverly D' Angelo return, though their two kids are recast) find themselves on a dumb game show, which they somehow win, and the prize is a (you guessed it) European Vacation, but their enthusiasm at this win is deflated when the trip does not go the way they had planned...Stupid and crude sequel uses every cliché in the book, and falls flat on its face. Recasting of the children doesn't click; even use of comedy guest stars Eric Idle and John Astin doesn't work, and film just gets worse as it goes along; only succeeds in giving American tourists a bad name!