Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

I genuinely love this movie, and have since childhood, it's laugh out loud slapstick, and highlights every preconceived stereotype people had about Europeans before globalisation, all Brits are posh and idiotic, Italians are all gangsters and of course The French hate everyone that isn't French.So it's far from politically correct, indeed many of the jokes wouldn't be allowed in a new film, but it was the eighties.It's such a feel good film, the music is so upbeat, Chase and D'Angelo are as wonderful as always, but it's the many great cameos I enjoyed most, numerous funny parts from Mel Smith, Maureen Lipman, Ballard Barclay and of course the wonderful Eric Idle.It's bonkers, it's hilarious.

European Vacation is a good movie with a well developed storyline a good comedic cast.I was certainly disappointed by this movie,because after seeing the first one,I thought seeing the Griswolds going to Europe would just be even more fun,but it wasn't,but this movie still is filled with some very funny scenes.Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are still in good form in this movie,and they are certainly the highlight,they are filled with positive energy and there is great chemistry between the two of them.I found Audrey,who is played by a different actor than she was in the first,was extremely annoying and certainly the worst part,she didn't make me laugh once.European Vacation is certainly disappointing,but fans of the first should still definitely enjoy.After entering a game show,the Griswolds win a trip to Europe,but while they're there one problem after another comes along.Best Performance: Chevy Chase Worst Performance: Dana Hill

I have to admit that until recently I believed I like this movie as much as "Vacation" and "Christmas Vacation",but I read several negative reviews about it and,after giving them a thought,I have to admit that they partially are right.Yes,this movie (and especially its stereotypes) is somewhat flat,sometimes even dumb.It's no masterpiece.But it's still worth watching it not only once,but several times.After all,its nevertheless a Griswold movie with Chevy Chase and Beverly d'Angelo!And I don't agree very much with the many critical comments on Dana Hill and Jason Lively (who played the Griswold's daughter and son)Yes,their characters in the film are annoying,nervy and sometimes obnoxious.But I think that's exactly how kids tend to be at the age both characters are designed to have in the movie.Their characters could be seen as the most realistic part of "European vacation" Maybe some people who watched this movie recognized their own children in these characters.I did,at least partially.As I recognized myself while remembering when I was as young as Rusty is in this movie.What concerns the national clichés the movie constantly harps upon: Yes,they are rather dumb,and,more important,unequal.It makes an "unbelievably small" difference whether you stereotypically portray people as ultra-polite/sex-loving or as lynch mob/mafiosi. After having had a short look on the director's biography I unfortunately have to suppose that this movie might reflect her personal clichés...For people who believe these stereotypes to be more or less reliable: At least at the time this movie was released (1985/86) it was the so polite Britons who in Europe had a reputation problem (due to their ultra violent hooligans-remember the Heysel stadium tragedy) Nevertheless the clichés in this movie appear rather harmless,especially regarding the movie's age (if someone wants to watch really dumb national stereotypes,I "recommend" the British "top gear")Where did the Schuhplattler dance take place IN THE MOVIE? (in reality these scenes were shot in Southern Tyrol,Italy,as you know) Well,I can only say that there are shown many little blue-white flags (blue-white the colors of Bavaria) and red-white flags (red-white the colors of Upper Austria,a federal state of Austria) And there's shown a big German (at that time only West-German!) flag (black-red-gold).So everybody can brood over it,if she or he wants...I suggest a Schuhplattler contest between Bavarian and Upper Austrian towns near the border.By the way,Hitler's birthplace Braunau is also a town near to the Upper Austrian/Bavarian border.A strange coincidence,isn't it? Therefore I suspect that the oddly high number of flags in this "Schuhplattler-town" is an allusion to the "Reichsparteitag" in Nuremberg...Finally,what concerns the nudity in this movie: Come on,this is "European vacation" and not "Saudi Arabian vacation"!

After winning the grand prize on a painfully stupid and embarrassing game show, the "Griswald" (formerly, and later, Griswold) family, are off to wreck havoc in the UK, France, and Germany, on a painfully unfunny Euro- tour.Attractive scenery left and right, but film is sexist and unfunny.Stereotypical behavior on the part of the Griswalds, as well as the people they encounter in Europe, was not funny, only formulaic (obnoxious Americans interacting with obnoxious French/ English, etc.). Listening to Audrey whining endlessly about her guy who has just dumped her gets tiresome quickly, but it just goes on for most of the rest of the film.It doesn't seem like there was a point, or final destination here, just the family wandering aimlessly around western Europe, getting into increasingly contrived situations.Some of the situations in the first film were slightly outlandish, but for the most part, that film was believable. This sequel is so far out in left field that none of its situations are believable. Knocking Stonehenge over like dominos? Are we supposed to believe that? Getting involved with thieves in Italy? Highly unlikely. Making a sex video, which is stolen, and becomes a hit movie in cinemas? Not very likely, either. The plane bouncing off the Statue Of Liberty's arm and knocking over its torch? I don't imagine that could happen, either.Chase over does it this time with his terminally stupid character. D'Angelo still looks sexy, but she has no material to work with here.The kids this time around (Jason Lively and Dana Hill) are awful: Lively looks like a 6'2" grade schooler, and Hill is whining almost all throughout.