Vegas Vacation is the weakest in the series but still somewhat fun thanks in large part to the energy and chemistry between Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. Given it is rated PG, it is a safe movie yet there are some scenes that will get a chuckle so it’s not a complete loss.
Vegas Vacation (1997)
Genre(s): Comedy
Warner Bros. | PG – 94 min. – $19.98 | May 21, 2013
MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Stephen Kessler
Writer(s): Elisa Bell & Bob Ducsay (story), Elisa Bell (screenplay)
Cast: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid, Ethan Embry, Marisol Nichols, Miriam Flynn, Shae D’Lyn, Wayne Newton
Theatrical Release Date: February 14, 1997
DISC INFO:
Features: Theatrical Trailer
Number of Discs: 1
Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 1.0)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Disc Size: 21.4 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C
THE MOVIE – 3.0/5
Plot Outline: Clark Griswold (CHEVY CHASE) has decided to take his family for another vacation, this time to sunny Las Vegas, much to the disappointment of wife Ellen (BEVERLY D’ANGELO), son Rusty (ETHAN EMBRY) and daughter Audrey (MARISA NICHOLS) feeling there’s nothing to do there. Oh how wrong they are… After some hijinks on the flight out West, the Griswold’s bask in the sunlight at the spacious casino hotel with Clark increasingly getting addicted to gambling, Ellen getting wooed by none other than Wayne Newton, Rusty receiving Las Vegas fame winning cars and getting comped in luxurious suites and Audrey being poorly influenced by cousin Vicky (SHAE D’LYN). And no Vacation movie would be complete without the overbearing/loveably obnoxious Cousin Eddie (RANDY QUAID) living with his family in the Nevada desert at a one-time nuclear testing area. But as each member gets distracted by the glitz and glamour (or lack thereof for Clark), they will see the value once again in family…
Quick Hit Review: I actually saw Vegas Vacation in the theater back in 1997 and at the time I found it relatively funny but nowhere near as entertaining as Vacation or Christmas Vacation. The movie itself is fairly safe in its joke with Warner Brothers apparently wanting to keep a PG rating to get a larger mass of audiences at the sacrifice at risqué humor that made the previous installments so funny (and I’ll be among the minority in stating I actually liked European Vacation).
Even so, Vegas Vacation is a harmless film that can be watched on a slow, rainy weekend afternoon providing a few chuckles and at least seeing Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo back in the flow of things.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 0.5/5
The only feature included is the theatrical trailer (2:14; SD).
VIDEO – 3.75/5
Warner Brothers completes the Vacation anthology releases Vegas Vacation on Blu-ray alongside the three other entries. The 1080p transfer, presented with a 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio, isn’t the best looking video you’ll come across but it’s not bad either. Even though this is the “newer” movie, it looks similar to the Vacation BD release with some heavy noise in some spots. The detail levels though are decent while the color array seems nice and bright.
AUDIO – 4.25/5
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track sounds excellent especially with the music and score which provides some dynamic elements while dialogue and other primary action takes place through the center speaker. Although it will hardly knock your socks off, it’s still a respectable lossless track and a step up from the DVD’s standard Dolby Digital 5.1 track.
OVERALL – 3.0/5
Overall, Vegas Vacation is the weakest in the series but still somewhat fun thanks in large part to the energy and chemistry between Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. Given it is rated PG, it is a safe movie yet there are some scenes that will get a chuckle so it’s not a complete loss. The Blu-ray offers decent video/audio transfers while, although unsurprisingly, a nearly empty features section.
Published: 05/26/2013