"This time, the Griswolds are on a roll."

With that wince-inducing tagline, an extremely lackluster trailer, and a derivative one-sheet, the fourth of Chevy Chase’s Vacation films was thrust upon theater-goers a full eight years since the last outing (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation).

Expectations for this film couldn’t have been any lower.  Chase hadn’t starred in a watchable film since Christmas Vacation; writer John Hughes, who penned the first three films, was nowhere to be seen; and it’s not as if the American public was pounding down Hollywood’s door for the further adventures of the Griswold clan. Hell, even the “National Lampoon’s” was dropped from the title. Either the now-defunct humor magazine no longer carried the clout that it once had, or those who owned the name wanted to distance themselves from this film.

Chevy Chase was the first performer to burst out of the star-making cauldron of Saturday Night Live and he hit the screens like a supernova. Possessed with leading-man looks, a perfectly twisted dead-pan delivery, and the ability to do physical comedy, he found himself headlining some of the classic comedy films of the ‘80s, including Fletch, Spies Like Us, National Lampoon’s Vacation, and top of the comedy heap, Caddyshack.

Eventually, Chase’s shtick wore thin. Chase, always seeming a little smarmy, was more than that. He was an asshole, and you would be hard pressed to find a former colleague who won’t tell you the same. As his unlikability in real life carried over to his professional life, his time as a star was at an end. When you look back on his career, it was always there. He was a professional asshole who was once able to make it funny and charming. The only character he played that was nearly the opposite of that, sweet, bumbling, and good-hearted, was Clark W. Griswold.

Needless to say, I never rushed out to the theater when this one was released. So one night, while watching some basic cable channel, Vegas Vacation comes on. Too drunk/tired/lazy to change it, I soak the film in, waiting to be lulled to sleep at anymoment. It didn’t happen. In fact, I was shocked to find that I didn’t hate it… I didn’t hate it at all.

Vegas Vacation was better than it ever had any right to be. While not a great film (hell, not really even a good film) I found that not only did I enjoy it, I’ve seen it multiple times since.

The Griswold family has always had some constants: Chevy Chase will play the goofy, but well-intended, Clark. Beverly D’Angelo will play Clark’s way-too-attractive-for-him wife, Ellen. Chase and D’Angelo have both aged remarkably well up to this point and have a surprisingly good chemistry together. They both continue to play off each other with an ease and naturalness honed over 14 years of playing man and wife. Audrey and Rusty, the Griswold kids, will always be a revolving door, with constantly shifting relative ages and actors (a point noted in a little in-joke towards the beginning of the film). In Vegas Vacation, Rusty is played by Ethan Embry (Empire Records) and Marisol Nichols (in her feature film debut) is Audrey. You know what you are getting into with the parents, but it is always the kids who are the wild cards.

This time, the Griswold siblings are twins just entering their senior year of high school (underage and unable to enjoy the casino floors of Vegas). Embry’s Rusty is a wild-eyed naïf who is just a bit spaz yet living something of a charmed life. He is easily the funniest Rusty since Anthony Michael Hall, who originated the character. Nichols as Audrey holds the distinction of being the hottest of all the past Audreys and imbues her take on the role with the most sexiness of the other three. For once, the Vegas Vacation kids actually trump both the parents and the side characters.

In this go-around, we find Clark announcing the latest trip for his family. Las Vegas seems like a perfect choice for his clan. At the time, Vegas was promoting itself heavily as a family destination spot, and there are many in that town who can make it very easy and convenient to have a feature film shot there. In fact, the birth of this film seems more like a shooting location in search of a script instead of the other way around. In a perfect but very subtle moment, the film quickly bites the hand that feeds it when the rest of the family balks at Clark’s decision. No matter how much Vegas tried to promote otherwise, there really is nothing much for a family to do together there, which Vegas Vacation goes on to prove.

As you can expect with a Vacation film, there are always scenes of Clark bumbling from one “wacky” misadventure to the next. These things really progress from film to film with diminishing returns tied directly to the unlikability that Chevy Chase, the man, continues to exude in his public life. Clark Griswold is one of the few roles that Chase has played where you can separate the character from the asshole that plays him.

While Chase is expected to carry the film, the writers hedge their bets by splitting the family up, allowing for four concurrent, nearly separate, stories to play out.

Clark, quick to develop some dangerous gambling tendencies, meets his fate in the form of two instruments of his gambling doom: His nemesis of a blackjack dealer, played brilliant by an always unsung Wallace Shawn (Toy Story, The Princess Bride); and the hilarious Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid). With Cousin Eddie acting as cooler and Shawn’s dealer acting as assassin, Clark blows through the family vacation budget, checking account, and credit card with the freighting ease that Las Vegas makes possible. Outside of the scenes with Shawn, and Eddie showing Clark his Vegas (a funny, disgusting $1.49 buffet and the lowest of low-rent casinos you will ever see. Games include: War, Pick A Number, Guess Which Hand, and Rock, Paper, Scissors) Chase over-plays things past the point where they are amusing. In fact, the entire Hoover Dam sequence (essentially one long joke and one long pratfall) could’ve gone away.

Meanwhile, Ellen has captured the eye of Wayne Newton. Newton does a great job of having a piss with his image and a laugh at himself as a Lothario who is blindly determined to woo Ellen away from Clark.  Although, watching Newton is a real hoot, this bit goes nowhere and should’ve been shortened up.

Bored Audrey gets sucked into the world of Cousin Eddie’s daughter, Vicky. Vicky is a go-go dancer (it is a PG film, remember) at club Aereola, and helps the sexy, wild party girl emerge. Besides the general leering done at Marisol Nichol’s expense, there is nowhere to go with this. If the film had a bit more edge, and Audrey was stripping (damn you PG!) then there would be more to put Audrey at risk. As it stands, she seems to just be having some harmless fun.
 
Rusty, hands down, has the best sub-plot of the entire film. This movie could’ve easily been Rusty’s, relegating the rest of the cast to nothing more than supporting roles. Rusty’s story has so much to chew on, allowing Embry to really draw out the comedy gold. After he obtains a fake ID on the Vegas Strip from a hustler, played by the great Toby Huss (King Of The Hill, Carnivale), his “magic ticket” allows Rusty to live out the dream of everyone who has the twinkle of Las Vegas in his eyes. Not only is Rusty walking around lucky, he is also charmed. With one pull of a lever, he begins his journey by winning a new car. After a phenomenal run of luck at the craps table, he is befriended by his own Rat Pack, lead by “Jilly from Philly” (played with authenticity by producer Jerry Weintraub). The casino comps Rusty with an amazing suite (complete with bar and hot tub) and Jilly and the boys show Rusty how to be a man.

At one point, Clark finally wises up and gathers his family back together. Why he and Ellen seemed so concerned about the kids, I’m not sure. Again, if Audrey were stripping or Rusty was mixed up with the mafia, then they could be concerned. As it was, the kids were occupied, taken care of, and having fun. Feh! I’ll never understand the PG-rated world.

Fans of the original, take note. As always, there is continuity to this series (well, besides the kids). Watch for a cameo by the still smoking hot Christie Brinkley. You’ll know its coming when you hear Lindsey Buckingham sing signature song, " Holiday Road."

If you have ever been a fan of the legendary Sid Caesar, I suggest you avert your eyes at the contrived ending of Vegas Vacation. That’s all I’m going to say about that, except that someone like Caesar deserved better at the end of his career.

DVD Presentation
Here is a film that is full of opportunity to make for a visual feast. I mean, the bulk of your film is in Las Vegas for fucks sake! But sadly, as presented on the DVD, the colors do not pop, the lights do not dazzle, and everything looks like it is being viewed through a sheet of tissue paper. Whether this is due to the source material or the transfer, it just looks… boring. Luckily, most of the script holds up, because there is nothing much visually to distract you when it doesn’t. Oh, and for those who care, this title is non-anamorphic.

The audio is just as disappointing as the video. With countless casino floor scenes, the sound designers could’ve had a ball dropping the ever present sounds of the slot machines into your rear surround channels.  They could’ve been really creative and crafted something of a 3-D illusion, making your living room sound as if it was right next to the gaming tables. Instead, we get a flat, workman-like mix. Sure, everyone is really easy to hear, but is it too much to want more?

Extras
To say they are light is an understatement.  We get the original theatrical trailer (which, to me, is as mandatory as scene access). Incidentally, Scene Access is also listed as a “Special Feature.” Ha! Anyway, there are a number of text essays as well.  While completely unremarkable there are one or two interesting little tidbits.

The Bottom Line
While Vegas Vacation is only the third best of the Vacation films (ahead of only National Lampoon’s European Vacation) it still has enough going for it that makes this film worth a look.  True to the characters and light on the “bad;” if you enjoy the exploits of the Griswold clan and it’s a rainy day, you could do a lot worse than Vegas Vacation.

Come for Griswolds, but stay for the appearance by the pre-mauling Siegfried and Roy!  Beware the mesmerizing power of their Teutonic codpiece!

Fun Trivia:  The Griswolds are neighbors with Lethal Weapon’s Murtaughs on the Warner Bros Ranch (a few blocks from the main Warners lot).