National Lampoon's Vacation - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

National Lampoon's Vacation



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
“Has it really been 40 years? I’m not that old am I?”. This phrase has been something I say more and more often as I start to review catalog films from my early childhood and I guess it’s time to start admitting that the 80s are finally in the “classics” era.

That being said, very few directors and actors have had as many comedic 80s hits as Harold Ramis and Chevy Chase. Couple that with John Hughes legendary writing and National Lampoons Vacation was the comedic hit of 1983. Back then Chevy was on top of the world, having burst into the scene like a typhoon with his brand of slapstick comedy, but nobody knew just how FAR he was going to rise. Vacation was the movie that really put him on the map and ended up starting a series that would get better with age (to a certain extent) and drastically outclass the original with Christmas Vacation.

As patriarch of the Griswold family, father Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is going to give his beloved family the dream vacation that they’ve always wanted. A cross country trip to the legendary Walley World theme park in Sunny California. Chipper and ready to have fun, Clark decides that flying is for rubes, and that he and his family need as much together time as they can, so he forces a road trip on them all (already a red flag. Close proximity to family for extended periods of time NEVER ends well). So off they go with Clark, his wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), aunt Edna (Imogene Coca), and children Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall) and Audrey (Dan Barron) in tow for a….well….interesting family vacation.

Vacation is the first in the series, and while it has a beloved following, is also one of the weakest (well, outside of European Vacation) and most raw of the films as well. It has the great writing of John Hughes, Harold Ramis’ amazing direction, but when compared to films like Christmas Vacation, feels sort of raw and crude in nature. The slapstick comedy is much like a hyped up 80s version of It’s a mad, mad, mad World, crazy scenes of Clark trying his best to keep his family together and having “fun”. However, things just don’t feel as clean and polished as it could have been. The sequence with Clark going skinny dipping always felt odd and out of place (seriously? Why were you even thinking of anyone else when you had Beverly D’Angelo as your wife?), and some of the jokes just don’t land that well. All the pieces are there. The humor is generally on point, but there’s some rough edges that definitely need polishing.

Still, despite some of my criticisms above, Vacation is a legendary comedy for a reason. It’s not only the first of the series, but it is still hilariously funny. I still lose it with Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his goofball white trash family, as well as the chemistry between Beverly and Chevy (the two sticking cast members among the entire franchise). However, the biggest dark comedy pull is the sheer morbidity of watching a family self implode upon themselves in real time. Every single one of us have had those horrible vacations where the family wants to “come together”, but by the end of the long drive the only thing each family member can think of is murder. In a sick and twisted way, there’s a little relatable bit of all of us in the film, and that’s what makes the unfolding horror show so much fun.




Rating:

Rated R by the MPAA




4K Video: Video:

Vacation’s Blu-ray release was always a problematic one as it was taken from a DVD era master, and just given a quick slap on the butt and tossed onto the Blu-ray format. It was soft, slightly mushy, and definitely had problems with detail levels, and encoded in the weaker VC-1 codec during the format wars. But, it was the best we had and something fans had to live with for the last 13 years. Warner has advertised the set as a “4k restoration”, but there are no details on what went into the restoration process, so I can only assume we’re talking a fresh scan with some sprucing up of debris and print damage as they usually advertise the snot out of it if they go fully in depth and have a director/cinematographer supervise the whole process.

With that in mind, the end result is quite fantastic. I rated the old Blu-ray as a 3/5 rating back in 2010, and this new 4K is a fully 4.5/5 in my opinion. The grain levels are intact, with a wonderfully filmic look to the image. Colors are warm and inviting, with that classic 80s orange and red tinge that was so popular. Fine details are amazeballs, with plenty of intimate details being shown. Check out the suit that Clark wears at the beginning. I didn’t realize just how textured nuanced it was until you watch it side by side with the Blu-ray. Black levels are fantastic, but I noticed a few instances of wonky contrast levels that were awkward. Usually in bright light scenarios on the road, such as at the truck stop. Overall a fantastic upgrade over the aging Blu-ray.









Audio:

There’s not a whole lot new to be said for the 2.0 Mono track found on board, as it seems to be the same mix from the Blu-ray. Not a bad thing either, as it was a solid track for a straight forward dialog heavy comedy like National Lampoons Vacation. Dialog is crisp and clean, and the simple dynamic range that it sports is nothing overly flashy. There’s a few freaky moments such as when the family nearly gets side swiped by the truck, or Christie Brinkley’s Ferrari roaring by on the freeway. Music is rich and robust, and I really can’t complain about anything. It’s a simple 2.0 dialog track, and there are no major issues with it whatsoever.







Extras:

• Audio Commentary

Final Score: ​

National Lampoons Vacation has been a much beloved comedy for 40 years, and it’s fantastic to finally get a new release over the same recycled Blu-ray for the last 13 years. The upgrade to 4K is a solid one, with the same audio that we’ve had for years, but also a VERY healthy video remaster that truly sparkles over the edge enhanced and slightly mushy 2010 Blu-ray. My only real complaint is that Warner seems to be following Paramount's footsteps and not including the Blu-ray in the set as a combo pack, but it's not the end of the wrold as most of us have the Blu-ray already and can make a combo pack with a spare 2 disc case. Sadly the extras are on the Blu-ray as the 4K UHD release only carries over a single audio commentary. Definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of the film.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron
Directed by: Harold Ramis
Written by: John Hughes
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core),English, French (Canadian), Spanish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Studio: Warner Brothers
Rated: R
Runtime: 98 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: June 27th, 2023

Recommendation: Great Watch

 

[Todd Anderson]

Stone cold classic. Love this flick! Thanks for the review, Mike. I think this one deserves a spot in library.

 

[Michael Scott]

Stone cold classic. Love this flick! Thanks for the review, Mike. I think this one deserves a spot in library.

It's a large upgrade over the Blu-ray in everything but features (which is why I'm making a combo pack out of mine).... you'll be pleased methinks

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. Of all the movies that belong to this franchise, this is the first and best! Love the movie!