Review of National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985) by Sean L — 24 Dec 2012

This has its moments, but a lot of the magic that oozed from the original is missing. I chalk that up to an increase in slapstick and zany situations, plus an almost total withdrawal from the quieter character moments that grounded the family's first vacation.

While the original film definitely had its silly tendencies, it also seemed to know when to tighten the reins and slow down a bit, while the European chapter is content to keep plowing straight ahead, often leaping well beyond the limits of belief.

There are definitely some rich laughs to be had, particularly when Clark participates in a traditional Octoberfest dance or a French waiter speaks his mind via subtitles, but my favorite bits always seem to involve the family's personalities ricocheting off of each other and those take a clear back seat to the puns and sight gags this time around.