National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Blu-ray Movie Review

Drumroll please! A Holiday classic is released on Blu-ray...again.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 19, 2009

If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet I wouldn't be more surprised than I am right now.

There's nothing quite like milking (or eggnogging?) a favorite on home video, and as such it's certainly no surprise to see National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation make its second appearance on Blu-ray, this time a mere three years after its high definition debut. What's changed? The answer is "not much." The film is still a Holiday classic and one of the best of its kind, and the Blu-ray disc is identical in every regard save for the packaging and the artwork that appears on the physical disc. However, Warner Brothers has included a few nice collectibles in the package (see the "Supplements" section below) to make this a decent gift set that will probably please both fans of the film and Blu-ray collectors as an additional gift underneath the tree this year.

Clark, we're picking out a tree for the living room, not Rockefeller Center.

Christmas Vacation stars Chevy Chase (Fletch) as family man Clark Griswold, and he's obsessed with making this Christmas the best his family has ever seen. Though his intentions are just -- if not a bit foolhardy -- each attempt to inject holiday joy through the cozy confines of his suburban home leads only to one disaster after another. Clark remains mostly unaware of or indifferent to the problems, facing them with an almost childlike acceptance that they're just part of the Christmas experience, and never does he allow a case of the "bah humbugs" to keep him from his noble goal. This enthusiasm falters, however, when his cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid, Independence Day) and his clan show up uninvited to the Griswold home in an abused and decrepit RV, planning to spend the entire holiday season with Clark and family. Making matters worse is a missing bonus check that threatens to destroy Clark's secret plan to install a swimming pool in the back yard. In the end and in the true spirit of Christmas, Clark comes to realize that life's best bonuses don't necessarily come in the form of a corporate check.

1989's National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is one of the most successful of the modern Christmas movies, offering up ninety minutes of nonstop holiday fun. Perhaps the best and most beloved of the Vacation films, Christmas Vacation is a pleasant diversion from the avalanche of sappy Hallmark Christmas movies and the deluge of Santa-centric pictures like Tim Allen's Santa Clause series. Grounded in a mostly realistic plot with plenty of fun but never overly exaggerated comical scenarios, this film is a success because it's so very easy to relate to, particularly for those that find themselves in a packed house full of a quirky array of relatives every December. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation does for the family get-together what Office Space did for the office routine, delivering a true film classic filled with laughs, holiday spirit, plenty of charm, unforgettable characters, quotable lines, and memorable scenes that make it a film that's required viewing every Christmas season.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Brothers' 1080p, 1.78:1 Blu-ray presentation of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation surpasses in quality all previous home video releases, save, of course, for the identical 2006 Blu-ray. Nevertheless, the image retains what has always been a rather flat and soft appearance that surprisingly still manages to look fairly pleasing overall. It's nothing spectacular, but for a 20-year-old comedy, it looks fine. Detail is moderately high, particularly in scenes that feature brighter lights and a wider array of colors. Flesh tones look solid enough, colors are moderately vibrant, and black levels appear fine, but not magnificent. There are some pops and nicks evident over the print throughout, particularly in establishing and long-distance shots. Outdoor scenes fare well, too, though snow-covered terrain and a generally negligible sense of depth only take the image so far. This Blu-ray isn't a cut-and-try "must upgrade" release over standard definition DVD presentations, but fans that don't already own the film will certainly enjoy this decent Blu-ray presentation.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is presented with a Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track. It sounds fine, all things considered, an example of a movie and a mix that have little to offer beyond the basics. There's not much in the source material to work with, and this is a front-heavy audio experience with the vast majority of the sound emanating from the center channel speaker. Obviously, the rear channels enjoy a 90 minute holiday with this disc in conjunction with the absence of any sort of low end, and there are but a few sound effects and musical notes spilling over and out of the left and right front channels. As a 20-year-old dialogue-driven Comedy, not much more is to be expected. Said dialogue comes across pleasantly enough; there's nothing that ever really distracts from or hinders it. Though not at all anything resembling a robust sound presentation, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation covers the basics, and as such, it sounds fine when considered in the proper context.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only on-disc supplement to speak of on this recycled Blu-ray release of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a feature commentary track with Actors Randy Quaid, Beverly D'Angelo, Johnny Galecki, Miriam Flynn; Director Jeremiah Chechik; and Producer Matty Simmons. This is a fun, none-too-serious track. Discussions revolve around ice skating lessons, hairstyle choices, and facial hair. There are also some actual filmmaking tidbits, too; they are interesting (such as a discussion on the editing of a particular scene) and such insights allow for a brief respite from the nonstop humor of the track. This commentary supplements the movie well, fitting right in with the theme, pace, and style of the film. Also included is a 480p trailer for the film. This latest National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Blu-ray release does come with a few added trinkets that fans should enjoy. Housed inside a tin that measures approximately 8" in height, 5.5" in width, and 3.25" in depth (a bit less wide than the A Christmas Story tin), buyers will find a "I Survived a Griswold Family Christmas!" button, a box of snow powder (just add water), a miniature plastic replica of the famed "moose head" mug that features prominently in the film, a small "moose head" Santa hat, and four Christmas Vacation-themed coasters (see additional screenshots for detailed photographs).

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A timeless classic of holiday laughs and spirit, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a Christmas staple, a wonderful little film that never seems to wear out its welcome. This latest Blu-ray release of Christmas Vacation might be an old gift in new wrapping, but it's still sure to bring Christmas cheer to any recipient. The video and audio presentations are nothing to brag about, but they're easily overshadowed by the quality of the movie. This release adds no new on-disc extras, but the included goodies in the tin should make any stalwart Christmas Vacation fan jolly. At the right price, this would make for an excellent collectible for the National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and/or Blu-ray collector on the list this Holiday season, not to mention a handsome complimentary piece to Warner Brothers' A Christmas Story tin release. Recommended for fans that don't currently own the previous Christmas Vacation Blu-ray disc.