Clark, Ellen, Rusty and Audrey Griswold are an All-American family of boneheads, cheerful, ignorant and clueless. They were introduced to the world in National Lampoon’s Vacation, and when that proved a big unexpected success a sequel was inevitable, and rather than reinvent the wheel they decided to simply change the destination.
After winning an all expenses paid trip through Europe in a pork-themed quiz show it all goes wrong from minute #1 and never lets up as the Griswolds progressively wreak good-natured havoc utilising their own combination of blissful ignorance and plan stupidity.
Every possible topic, custom or tic that can possibly be exploited for humour – is (Food. Language. National costumes. Dance.) while a who’s who of European actors (OK British: Mel Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Eric Idle) looks on in astonishment.
European Vacation hasn’t actually aged that well, something about a lack of mean spirited comedy and no random body fluids will do that, but Chevy Chase is still a master of grafting the subtle gormless laugh at his own expense, and there are enough chuckles to convince you not to turn it off if you catch it on TV late at night.
Still, that’s hardly a bold recommendation…
Final Rating – 6 / 10. In truth the funniest moment hands down is when Chevy Chase clearly yells ‘FUCK!’ in a car chase near the film’s conclusion only to have ‘Darn it all’ overdubbed. I rewound that bit three times, I wanted to fast forward everything else (bar the German girl).