Vacation Blu-ray Review
Score: 71
from 4 reviewers
Review Date:
A technically solid Blu-ray for 'Vacation,' but its reliance on raunchy, formulaic humor makes it enjoyable only for fans of such comedy; others should rent first.
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Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 84
The Blu-ray of 'Vacation' offers an impressive visual experience with notable high-definition detail, rich colors, inky black levels, and film-like texture. The 1080p AVC-encoded, 2.40:1 aspect ratio transfer is crisp and clean, free from artifacts, and boasts an average bitrate of 29.39 Mbps.
Audio: 82
Vacation's Blu-ray audio presentation features a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track with clear dialogue and strategically mixed sound effects. While not particularly immersive, the soundtrack includes notable pop singles and provides occasional dynamic moments, especially during action sequences.
Extra: 63
The Vacation Blu-ray extras include insightful and nostalgic featurettes on the film’s production and homage to the original, a brief yet amusing gag reel, 12 minutes of deleted scenes featuring humorous cut content, and a tribute to Georgia, showcasing its use as a versatile filming location.
Movie: 65
Vacation attempts to revive the Griswold legacy with Ed Helms as Rusty, bringing a blend of nostalgia and raunchy humor that occasionally hits the mark but often misses due to predictable gags and lack of originality. While Christina Applegate offers fresh comedic moments, the film overall falls short of its predecessors' charm.
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Video: 84
The Blu-ray presentation of "Vacation" delivers impressive high-definition detail and exceptional image quality. Utilizing the Arri Alexa Plus for digital capture, the 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer is pristinely sourced through a direct digital path, boasting notable clarity and defining sharpness. Colors are beautifully rendered with tonal warmth and vibrant textures, while fleshtones exhibit complexional variety that enhances the gradations among the cast. Black levels are remarkably deep and inky, with excellent dynamic range and discernible highlights, and the contrast is well-balanced, enriching both light and dark elements on screen.
The 2.40:1 aspect ratio widens slightly from its original theatrical release, ensuring a more immersive viewing experience. This Blu-ray excels in delivering a visually stimulating presentation with solid, consistent skin tones and a lot of 'pop' to the imagery. The generous encoding bitrate of 29.39 Mbps ensures that there are no visible artifacts or interference, maintaining the integrity of the digital capture. Depth of field is notably strong, giving characters a three-dimensional presence that practically leaps from the screen, particularly in scenes set at the Grand Canyon and a college sorority.
Technical aspects such as AVC MPEG-4 encoding and 1080p resolution are executed flawlessly. Clarity and detail are superb, capturing both natural and artificial environments authentically. The transfer is free from banding, macroblocking, and pixelation issues, with only minor aliasing noted during camera pans. Overall, the video quality of this Blu-ray release of "Vacation" stands out as top-notch, providing a detailed, colorful, and deeply engaging visual experience with no noticeable imperfections.
Audio: 82
The audio presentation on the Blu-ray of "Vacation" is delivered with a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Dialogue is a focal point, consistently crisp, and seamlessly integrated with ambient noises and the eclectic musical soundtrack comprising pop singles like Lindsay Buckingham’s “Holiday Road” and Seal's “Kiss from a Rose.” While the dialogue clarity is commendable, the mix does offer sparse immersive moments, primarily during the comedic sound effects and the few action sequences featuring elements like roaring truck engines and turbulent rivers. The instrumental score by Mark Mothersbaugh complements the narrative effectively, ensuring a balanced audio experience.
The surround sound presentation predominantly highlights the front channels, with rear speakers kicking in notably during the musical sequences and sporadic background noise, adding a subtle layer of depth. Low Frequency Effects (LFE) are present but not pronounced, except for specific scenes where they pack an unexpected punch, contributing dynamic energy to select sequences like car crashes and chase scenes. While the surround activity may not be continuously engaging, it peaks during high-energy moments, providing a brief yet intense auditory impact.
In addition to the primary DTS-HD 5.1 track, the Blu-ray also offers English Descriptive Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 in French, Spanish (Latin), and Portuguese. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish (Latin), and Portuguese, ensuring accessibility for a wider audience. Overall, while the audio track of "Vacation" does not revolutionize sound mixing for comedies, it provides a professionally crafted and enjoyable auditory experience that effectively supports the film’s narrative and comedic tone.
Extra: 63
The extras on the Blu-ray release of "Vacation" provide a solid look behind the scenes with a blend of humorous and informative content. The Return to Wally World feature offers insights from cast and crew about continuing the Griswold legacy, including discussions on script development and tributes to the original films. The Griswold Odyssey delves deeper into the making of the film with comprehensive coverage of the production, showcasing everything from vehicle design to on-set antics. The Gag Reel delivers brief but amusing outtakes, while Deleted Scenes provide additional context and humor with footage that didn't make the final cut. Lastly, the Georgia featurette appreciates the versatility of Atlanta as a filming location.
Extras included in this disc:
- Return to Wally World: Insights from cast and crew on continuing the franchise.
- The Griswold Odyssey: In-depth look at making the film, including production details.
- Gag Reel: Short but amusing collection of outtakes.
- Deleted Scenes: Additional humorous scenes not included in the final cut.
- Georgia: Tribute to Georgia's unique geography used in filming.
Movie: 65
The 2015 reboot of "Vacation," directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, endeavors to bring the Griswold family back on a hilarious, ill-fated road trip to Walley World. Ed Helms stars as Rusty Griswold, now a grown-up pilot for an economy airline, and Christina Applegate plays his wife, Debbie. While the premise of retracing the steps of the original 1983 film is promising, the execution fails to fully capture the charm of its predecessor. Despite some genuinely funny sequences, including physical comedy from Applegate and an amusing vehicle gag involving an absurdly over-designed Albanian minivan, much of the film feels overly derivative and forced. The sexual humor is more overt compared to the original, often overshadowing the film’s attempts at heartwarming family moments.
One of the most glaring issues is the portrayal of Rusty Griswold by Ed Helms. Lacking the hell-bent determination and sweet, bumbling charm that Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold brought to the original, Helms appears to coast through the film as a typical Ed Helms character rather than as a believable evolution of Rusty. The supporting characters, like Rusty’s brother-in-law Stone Crandall (Chris Hemsworth), provide some comic relief but are ultimately forgettable. Even cameo appearances by Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo as Clark and Ellen Griswold do little to salvage the movie. These brief nostalgic moments hint at what the film could have achieved had it leaned more into the original’s balance of sweet and slapstick comedy.
Overall, "Vacation" offers a mix of laughs and gross-out humor but fails to stand on its own apart from its franchise lineage. The Griswolds' journey is filled with crude humor and episodic gags that sometimes hit but mostly miss, resulting in a film that feels more like a collection of mediocre sketches than a cohesive comedy. Fans of modern raunchy comedies might still find parts of it enjoyable, but those expecting a worthy successor to the classic National Lampoon's Vacation will likely be disappointed.
Total: 71
The latest installment of "Vacation," while not achieving the critical acclaim of its predecessors, does offer a rich Blu-ray presentation for fans of raunchy, family-style comedies. The film diverges from the original quartet by amplifying its bawdy humor and profane content, which may alienate some long-time fans of the franchise. However, if you enjoyed comedic titles such as "We’re The Millers" or "Horrible Bosses," then you might find "Vacation" entertaining despite its recycled plot points and predictability.
Technically, the Blu-ray disc delivers admirable audio and video quality, ensuring that every laugh, however crude, is captured with pristine clarity. Though the narrative may leave something to be desired, the consistent performance in high-definition and surround sound makes this version worth considering for home viewing. The film maintains its charm and humor through subsequent viewings, making it suitable for those with an affinity for raucous, slapstick comedies.
In conclusion, "Vacation" on Blu-ray holds no significant surprises but succeeds through its adherence to a tried-and-true comedic formula. While it may not resonate with everyone, it offers more than a few good laughs for fans of over-the-top humor. For those unsure about committing to a purchase, renting could be a prudent first step. Loyal fans already know what to expect and should find satisfaction in adding this release to their collection.
Blu-ray.com review by Michael ReubenRead review here
Video: 80
The Blu-ray image shows all the usual virtues of digital capture: clean, sharp and detailed, with the added benefit of the film-like texture for which the Alexa is well-known....
Audio: 80
The instrumental score was supplied by Mark Mothersbaugh (The LEGO Movie), but the most memorable music on the soundtrack consists of pop singles, including various versions of Lindsay Buckingham's signature...
Extras: 40
Georgia (1080p; 1.78:1; 2:02): A tribute to the State of Georgia, which doubled for all the other states where Vacation is set....
Movie: 30
The sequence in which Debbie tries to relive her glory days by doing the Chug Run, which involves pitchers of beer, an elaborate obstacle course and copious vomiting, handily exploits Applegate's gift...
Total: 50
If so, let's hope that a different creative team is hired, one that is confident enough to dispense with reliance on plot points lifted from prior films and invent something new....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
The presentation is pretty much free of any problematic glitches, and the only thing I managed to notice was some minor aliasing in the background of scenes during camera pans....
Audio: 80
Dialogue is crisp throughout, and always properly mixed with the ambient noises and the movie's frequent selection of soundtrack tunes....
Extras: 0
A collection of deleted and extended scenes from the movie, including some additional footage with Chevy Chase, as well as a scene involving Chris Hemsworth's character having a horrible first day on the...
Movie: 60
Nor is this Rusty a carbon copy of Clark, as this Rusty never has the kind of hell-bent determination to make the vacation 'perfect' the way Clark did in the prior movies....
Total: 60
The biggest problem with this new 'Vacation' is that it doesn't seem to fit in properly with the quartet of films that came before it, even though it tries to be a continuation of those movies....
AVSForum review by Ralph PottsRead review here
Video: 92
Blacks are a solid shade of deep black with excellent dynamic range and discernible highlights....
Audio: 86
is an uninspired and unnecessary "reboot" that despite having its share of chuckle inducing moments, is a swing and miss that pales in comparison to the classic 80's Vacation film series....
Extras: 60
Gag Reel – 2 minutes (HD) Deleted Scenes – 12 minutes (HD) Georgia – 2 minute production featurette Bonus DVD Digital HD Copy...
Movie: 50
Following in his father’s footsteps, a grown-up Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) surprises his wife, Debbie (Christina Applegate), and their two sons with a cross-country road trip back to America’s “favorite...
Total: 72
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video) System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control Canton "Ergo" and In-Ceiling series speakers Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers...
Why So Blu? review by Brian WhiteRead review here
Video: 100
Sharp detail is prevalent throughout the presentation most notably in the environments are characters are put in, from natural, organic rock formations to artificial ones such as the flight controls, house...
Audio: 90
However, once we get to the moments with car swerves, the semi sliding down the road, horns beeping, the car flipping over, etc., things can get quite insane behind you in the rear speakers....
Extras: 50
San Francisco is next here where we are reunited with the original Griswolds not to mention the authentically recreated TRCKSTR....
Movie: 60
There really are some pretty insane moments that happen to the family while on the road and there’s even a stalker, whose identity I won’t reveal, that’s actually kind of worth the surprise....
Total: 70
Therefore, for anyone that’s undecided or unfamiliar with this title, I recommend a rental of this comedic film first....
Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Actors: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo
PlotRusty Griswold, a pilot for a low-budget airline, decides to take his family on a cross-country road trip to Walley World, an amusement park from his childhood, in hopes of revitalizing their bond and creating lasting memories. He surprises his wife, Debbie, and their two sons, James and Kevin, with the vacation plan, renting a dubious rental car for the journey. Along the way, they face a series of misadventures and mishaps, which include interactions with quirky relatives and bizarre locals, ultimately testing the strength of their relationships and their patience.
As Rusty's well-intentioned plans go increasingly awry, they encounter a variety of challenges that range from mechanical issues with their peculiar Albanian rental car to unpleasant situations at motels and tourist traps. Throughout these ordeals, the family is forced to confront their differences and personal frustrations. Deb contemplates the state of their marriage, while their sons struggle to appreciate one another. Despite the chaos and conflict, Rusty's unwavering determination to forge happy memories drives them forward, setting the stage for a potential change in their journey's course as they approach their final destination.
Writers: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, John Hughes
Release Date: 29 Jul 2015
Runtime: 99 min
Rating: R
Country: United States
Language: English