National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (DVD)

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So, we've got a film that could have been funnier and more family-friendly had it been trimmed of its cruder elements. Yet, true to form, it's a film that also has a surprising number of touching scenes amidst the chaos, like Clark's reminiscing in the attic over childhood home movies, or Clark's talk with Eddie's little girl about the coming of Santa Claus.

I tell you, you'll either ignore the uncouth and clumsy parts, relish the funny bits, and think it's the best of the "Vacation" series; or like me you'll be too annoyed by the parts that don't work to fully appreciate the best the movie has to offer. Well, at least the movie's GOT some funny parts; that's more than could be said about the "European" and "Vegas Vacation" entries, and maybe anything, no matter how small, is better than nothing. For some folks, I understand "Christmas Vacation" is a holiday institution in itself; for others, like me, one time is enough.

Video:
A healthy bit rate assures us of deep, vibrant colors and reasonably good definition within the context of an anamorphic widescreen picture measuring about 1.74:1 in ratio. There is a slight grittiness to the image, though, and some areas of the screen appear a little too dark to admit much detail. Nonetheless, with a good print and a clean transfer, the picture is easy to watch.

Audio:
The sound is reproduced via Dolby Digital two-channel stereo surround, which means you don't get pinpoint accuracy in the rear speakers, but you do get a good left-to-right front-channel spread. I found the audio projected a strong presence as well; a tad bright perhaps with little serious deep bass, but, otherwise, displaying good all-around balance. The surrounds are used mainly for added musical ambience enhancement, which for several of the big Christmas numbers works out well. Most of the time, one simply enjoys the front channels, which open up quite nicely.

Extras:
Warner Bros. is the studio that has given us such great "special edition" sets as "Casablanca," "Amadeus," and "Singin' in the Rain," but they have some explaining to do calling this one a "Special Edition," as they do in bold type on the front of the snapper case. In fact, there is little that's "special" about it in any way. The disc contains all of one "special" item, an audio commentary with Randy Quaid, Beverly D'Angelo, Johnny Galecki, Miriam Flynn, director Jeremiah Chechik, and producer Matty Simmons. Not even the star, Chevy Chase, participates in it, and for the few minutes I listened, it didn't seem worth spending much time on. Beyond the commentary, there are twenty-nine scene selections; a theatrical trailer; English and French spoken languages; and English, French, and Spanish subtitles. So, where's the "special"?

Parting Shots:
"Christmas Vacation" is almost on a par with the first "Vacation" movie, missing it only in terms of the several pitfalls I've mentioned, yet miles ahead of the "European" and "Vegas Vacation" flicks. Still, for me personally the excesses of "Christmas Vacation" outweigh its blessings, so I didn't enjoy it as much this second time I watched it as I did my first time around on cable. Writer John Hughes can be a genius one minute and a washout the next, and within the context of "Christmas Vacation" we see both sides of him prominently displayed.

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