The Grizwold household celebrates Christmas. A time when presents are given, hymns are sung, the lights of the Christmas tree are twinkling happily… But wait a minute: this Christmas tree isn’t twinkling at all. It’s on fire! Christmas is a wonderful time for Clark Griswold and his family.
Clark is a natural disaster that could come upon you at any moment. Now Clark wants by all means to give his family “the funniest old-fashioned family Christmas party ever. had, is and will be.”
Wow! That’s hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes. 25,000 light bulbs on the roof of the Grizzwold House. An exploding turkey on the table… What a Christmas!
4k movies reviews
One of the best family comedies I have ever seen, and also the best film of the magnificent ‘Vacation’ series, the best and funniest Chevy Chase comedy, and, perhaps, the warmest and funniest film of this wonderful comedian, and, besides that, one of the brightest and favorite Christmas-themed films in the world. We can praise this film endlessly, it is really a masterpiece of the genre that can create a festive mood even on the most mundane day, however, could the master of the genre, John Hughes, make a less attractive film? Absolutely not! John Hughes, who wrote the script for this movie, is a big fan of Christmas comedies, the scripts for the main American Christmas comedies of the 90’s Alone at Home and Alone at Home 2 are his work, as well as the production of amazing family comedies Airplane, Train, Car, Uncle Buck and others. No, what can I say, John Hughes along with Chris Columbus are the most important connoisseurs of family movies and holiday fun.
Hughes and Chase combined their comedic and comic talents in this film, turning it into a heartfelt, yet hilariously funny movie, the highlight of all the Christmas movies of the wonderful 80’s (think Gremlins, A Christmas Story, etc.) Why The Highlight? Because it’s the film most densely packed with all the American Christmas clichés and traditions that Hughes laughs wryly at.
Hughes has created and Chevy Chase has embodied, as Clark Griswald, the kind of forward-thinking American who is totally insane in his zealous observance of family tradition. The notorious family values are so firmly planted in Clark’s head that he does not allow himself the slightest disconnect from the Christmas books, his pursuit of Christmas tradition drives his whole family to complete insanity, while Clark remains satisfied – you bet he did everything right! Griswald – mindless loser, a representative of the standard American fun, a real ordinary American, only, unlike many movies, where this standard is glorified, here it is easily and naturally ridiculed, as well as the total denial of Christmas neighbors Clark – all good in moderation, “- tells us Hughes. What Griswald doesn’t realize is that a holiday that comes not from tradition but from the soul can’t be squeezed into book stencils like ‘Christmas. A Dummies’ Guide. So Clark Griswald, a man with memorized rules, charts and sketchy measures of life, is funny to the point, especially since Chevy Chase has done everything to make the image last in memory. In fact, he turns out to be just a ‘grown child’ who childishly enjoys the opportunity to decorate the Christmas tree, light the brightest light bulb, climb up the chimney in a Santa suit, ceremoniously carve the turkey at the head of the table, enthusiastically sing the anthem before the Christmas tree… The poor guy does everything he can to make the holiday happen.
Of course, the author does all this quietly and imperceptibly, but at the forefront, of course, the many comic situations from which poor Clark will have to get out – the movie can not stop laughing, every gag, every joke hits the mark, because they are all served in time and very ingeniously. Light bulbs, Christmas trees, turkeys, shopping trips, songs and prayers, the perpetually quarreling parents of husband and wife, the jerk brother from far away Kansas, the hated boss, the neighbors-snobs, the failed attempts to change Santa Claus… Nothing that Americans associate their main family holiday is forgotten, everything is presented in such a way that even the dead will laugh.
You can watch this movie many, many times – you can’t think of a better movie for New Year’s Eve or Christmas, but it might brighten up an ordinary holiday evening. It makes you feel good and easy, because, in the end, it is a kind and touching comedy where the holiday spirit is so strong that it enters houses through the screens. A film with terrific energy, great work by Chase, the beautiful Beverly Dangelo, Randy Quaid, delightful humor and a cautionary tale that still makes me feel puppyishly excited.
Info Blu-ray
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265 (75.0 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
French: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles
English SDH, French, Spanish, Dutch.
