OK. this may be a bit too well watched to be even worth reviewing, but given the season, and its high ranking on the OOT Christmas poll, I thouht it was worth a shot, and give all a chance to give an opinion.
This is the third outing for the Griswold family, after 'vacation' and 'European vacation' (both gooduns), and here we get the Griswolds at home. They are in usual Griswold form, and of course every damn thing goes wrong. Any of you that've done it will understand the agony of untangling and putting up lights only to find they don't work, and also some of you will recognise the mean boss and his ultra-lame Christmas bonus. And we all know the agony of relatives, right?
All Clark wants is a great Christmas for all, but it just does it go wrong. Poor guy. You can't feel too sorry for him, though, with his hottie wife. And part of the fun of the Griswolds is the lack of continuity with the kids, and here they change again, with the daughter played by Juiette Lewis, no less!
The highlight here for me is cousin Eddie (trailer trash to the core), played by top guy Randy Quaid, and the best moment is, after taking on Clark's rant about his mean boss, gives Clark his wish and delivers the tightass to face the music...a deeply satisfying film moment, I'd say.
Overall, a fun and undemanding Chrimbo watch, well worth getting as a keeper for the holiday season. No Christmas is truly complete without watching this, I say!
OVERALL: 3.5
REWATCHABILITY: Yearly, at Christmas!
Adults and teens - some swearing (it's a PG-13, though there is a UK version where the swearing is toned down)
RATINGS (out of 5):
0 - This is a complete waste of time, and you will regret wasting it
1 - don't bother unless no other options at all
2 - okay for a single watch, if you've got time
3 - Definite watch if you get a chance
4 - See it very soon, at least once before you die
5 - See it immediately, no excuses
Opinions/comments/arguments please, especially if you think I missed anything worth of discussion/expansion, or violently agree or disagree.
PM me any films you'd like reviewed
RECENT CHRISTMAS REVIEWS: Trading Places, It's a Wonderful life, A Christmas Story - all in the
OOT Film/DVD/TV Archive
(PS. I urge all OOTers who post film reviews/discussions to include a link to the archive at the bottom of their OP - I will maintain it, but it helps out all OOTers if the link is always around, but in the background. tnx)