Vegas Vacation is a 1997 comedy film that follows the Griswold family as they head to Las Vegas on vacation. The film starred Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, and Randy Quaid and was directed by Stephen Kessler.
However, despite the star power and the franchise’s popularity, the movie was considered a flop both critically and commercially. Let’s take a closer look at why Vegas Vacation may not have lived up to expectations.
The Storyline
The storyline of Vegas Vacation is centered around Clark Griswold, played by Chevy Chase, who wins a family trip to Las Vegas. Once in Sin City, he becomes obsessed with winning big at the casino and drags his family into his gambling addiction. While there are some comedic moments throughout the film, many critics felt that the plot was thin and lacked depth.
The Performances
Despite the star power of Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo reprising their roles as Clark and Ellen Griswold respectively, many felt that their performances fell flat compared to previous films in the franchise. Additionally, Randy Quaid’s character Cousin Eddie was given an expanded role in this movie but failed to deliver laughs like he did in previous installments.
The Reviews
Critics were not kind to Vegas Vacation upon its release. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a measly 13% rating with critics calling it “lazy” and “uninspired”. Roger Ebert even went as far as saying “This movie doesn’t scrape bottom; it doesn’t scrape anything except perhaps the barrell.”
The Box Office
Despite having a budget of $25 million dollars, Vegas Vacation only grossed $36 million dollars domestically. This was significantly less than its predecessors such as National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation which grossed over $70 million dollars.
The Verdict
In conclusion, Vegas Vacation was a flop both critically and commercially. While it had all the ingredients of a successful comedy film, the thin plot, lackluster performances, and poor reviews led to its downfall. However, the National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise continues to have a loyal fanbase and remains popular even today.
- Pros: Star power and fan base.
- Cons: Thin plot, lackluster performances, poor reviews.
- Verdict: A flop both critically and commercially.
Sources:
– https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1083668_vegas_vacation
– https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl4132381185/weekend/
– https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/vegas-vacation-1997