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National Lampoon's European Vacation

1985, Movie, PG-13, 95 mins

National Lampoon's European Vacation: Review

A low and often hilarious comedy that serves as a sequel to NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION. This time Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and family take on Europe, and that entire continent may never by the same. Clark and wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) win a European holiday on a silly game show called "Pig in a Poke." They're expecting the 1980s version of "The Grand Tour," but it turns out to be a cut-rate economy ride. Few incidents are related, but most are funny; so this movie is actually somewhat better than the original, which took great pleasure in being bizarre for its own sake. Director Amy Heckerling is gentler than Harold Ramis was, and the result is a slightly more cohesive picture that is far less mean-spirited. Lighthearted fun, pretty scenery, lots of chuckles, a few guffaws, and a lilting score by Charles Fox all contribute to making this movie a pleasant surprise. leave a comment