Movie Review: Vegas Vacation (1997)

Genre: Comedy  

Director: Stephen Kessler  

Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Wallace Shawn  

Running Time: 93 minutes  

Synopsis: After receiving a work bonus, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) takes his family on a vacation to Las Vegas. His wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) catches the eye of entertainer Wayne Newton (playing himself), while Clark gets addicted to gambling (and losing), ignoring his family in the process. Daughter Audrey (Marisol Nichols) connects with her rough-and-tumble cousin in Vegas' sordid corners, while son Rusty (Ethan Embry) discovers a hidden talent for winning.

What Works Well: This third sequel in the series of Griswold family vacation misadventures captures Vegas' gag-inducing faux glitz and glamour, and the associated gambling dangers. The running time is mercifully short, and a late intervention by Sid Caesar is worth waiting for.

What Does Not Work As Well: Randy Quaid's boorish cousin Eddie keeps getting in the way, plumbing new depths of atrocious behaviour. Clark Griswold's brand of comic ineptitude is low on energy, and the cast responds by just going through the motions. Wayne Newton and Wallace Shawn (as a caustic blackjack dealer) are over-applied to little effect. Most of the jokes miss their targets, including a tired detour to the Hoover Dam.

Key Quote:

Clark: Where the hell is the damn dam tour?

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