2/5 Chase mugs his way through another Vacation movie.
  by Robert Badgley (London,Ontario,Canada)
Saturday Night Live alumnis Chevy Chase in his 20th film released in 1989,stars in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation;the third installment in the franchises' long and still continuing history.Chase on SNL is not much different from Chase on the big screen,as he displays an alarming lack of range relying mostly on his constant mugging and less than stellar one liners.In fact he was better in his element on TV and(providentially)his career has waned into almost oblivion on the big screen since the early 90s.
The film really can be pared down into about four distinctive "plotlines".Find a Christmas tree,insert gags,take tree home.Get out Christmas Lights,insert gags,turn on said lights.Irritating relatives arrive,insert gags,relatives are ok in the end.And finally,want raise,insert gags,finally get raise.Picture ends with a slow pull back shot of Chase looking vacantly into the night sky and proclaiming"I did it"....cue in music.
Simple is the word and the mostly moronic humour is the byword throughout.Admittedly most of the Lampoon films were made with the cheap laughs in mind and nothing more.They don't pretend to be anything higher than what they are and you gets what you sees.
The pacing here is also one of stops and starts.Just as it starts to get a head of steam on it it slows down for a shopping trip or a conversation with a relative.
Technically the film has been remastered very well and is shown in its' original theatrical ratio.The special features,if you can call them that(especially for a so-called"special edition"),consist of the trailer and some pretty lame commentary by members of the cast(Chase not included).The DVD case itself is also very cheap...no expense spared here;no expense at all!
If you are into the National Lampoon flicks,especially those with Chase then this film is up your alley.If Chase looking at a buxom girl and saying"I was just blousing,er browsing" is your idea of comedy,that is of the very simple,low and frat house type of "humour" it really is,then this is for you; no doubt.For those expecting more,it warrants a big pass.

5/5 A cult classic!!!!
  by Sean P. OBRIEN (macungie, pa)
My wife and I can watch this movie over twenty times each season and not flinch! We pretty much have the dialogue memorized after all these years and it's still as funny as ever. A must see for the holidays!

5/5 Fun Christmas Story
  by Raoul (Huntley, IL. USA)
This will one day be a classic. At least for me, it has made me laugh. It has a bit of everything about the Christmas Holidays, in particular, the insanity of shopping. Family is great and this movie shows that at this time of the year, we need to take the good with the bad (cousin Eddie). I already had the movie but wanted to upgrade to blu-ray (the price was right) and give the other copy to my son, who happens to have the same warped sense of humor as his old man. A fun family movie except near the end the big kahuna, the word Ralphie( A Christmas Story) escapes Clark Griswald mouth when he loses it. Delivery was as promised. The only negative I found is, with both copies, something was/is not right with the sound - I need to turn up my system to the top to hear. Only DVD that I need to do that with. Why??? Dunno.

5/5 Not Christmas Without It
  by B. Davis (Beautiful Northwest USA)
This is our family FAVORITE!!!! It would not be Christmas if we didn't watch it at least once.

5/5 Timeless comedy no matter the holiday
  by Mr. Snickers
You don't have to wait until December to enjoy this film. Every time I watch this movie I find something else to appreciate - from the creative writing to exaggerate the sentimental traditions, to the hysterical performances of the entire cast. This is Chevy at his best. But the icing on the cake is Randy Quaids genius interpretation of that embarrassing relative we want to disclaim. Thanks for a timeless comedy classic.