Critic Reviews

Christmas Vacation (1989) Rank 3 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give Christmas Vacation (1989) a score of 2.9575 out of 4

based on (40) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(11)

Very Good

(23)

Good

(4)

Fair

(2)

Poor

(0)

Reviews by Score:

Movie Views (Ryan Cracknell)

Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is the father everyone wants their best friend to have. He's a man of tradition who takes great pride in taking his family on the occasional vacation. First off, it was a cross-country road trip to Wally World in National ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at Movie Views (Ryan Cracknell)

filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

Entry #3 in the National Lampoon's Vacation series is the last funny installment of the four movies (plus one made-for-TV movie which starred none of the original cast members). This time out the Griswolds aren't on a road trip -- they're spending ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at filmcritic.com (Christopher Null)

eFilmCritic.com (Oz)

If you're not aware of the "National Lampoon's Vacation" series, with Chevy Chase, Bev D'Angelo et al, well it might be time to crawl out from under the safety of yonder rock and hit your Blockbuster (or appropriate alternative video place that allows ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Oz)

Movie Addict (John Ulmer)

"A Christmas Carol," "Scrooge"...all classics we watch every year at Christmas...add "Christmas Vacation" to that list... ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at Movie Addict (John Ulmer)

Three Movie Buffs (Eric Nash)

As a trivia note this movie has some relevant supporting players. Before making it big on Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus played the Griswold's yuppy neighbor. Before she was Ray's mother on Everybody Loves Raymond Doris Roberts was Ellen Griswold's mom. ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Eric Nash)

DVD Times

Chevy Chase returns in the Griswold familyâ��s third (mis)adventure, National Lampoonâ��s Christmas Vacation. Deciding to stay home at Christmas, Clark (Chase) and his family (Beverly Dâ��Angelo returns as wife Ellen, while the kids are this time ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at DVD Times

DVD Verdict (Patrick Naugle)

All Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) ever wanted was an old-fashioned Christmas at home. All Clark received was chaos the size of the Chernobyl incident! When his family and friends come visiting for Christmas Vacation, Clark finds himself up to his eyeballs ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at DVD Verdict (Patrick Naugle)

Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics

Ah NoÃ«l! C'est le temps des cadeaux, des achats et des douloureuses factures. Mais avant tout, c'est supposÃ© Ãªtre le temps de se rÃ©unir en famille et de cÃ©lÃ©brer. Parmi les nombreuses traditions reliÃ©es Ã cette fÃªte, on y retrouve de plus en ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics

Teen Movie Critic (Mandy Heiser)

he third of the four "Vacation" films, Christmas Vacation takes on a slightly different form... The Griswolds are at it again, but this time in the "safety" of their own home. It's Christmas...what can go wrong? Well...a lot. Relatvies arguing, ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at Teen Movie Critic (Mandy Heiser)

BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)

It seems that we weren't full of Christmas cheer when we reviewed this third movie in the Vacation series as "distinctly desperate". High art this may not be, but who could turn away this tale of family relatives causing yuletide misery for Chevy ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)

dvdfuture.com

I have always liked the Vacation films and have always been a fan of Chevy Chase. This is the third film in the series and my personal favorite. The light plot involves Chase desperately waiting for that big X-Mas bonus and when he does not get it right ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at dvdfuture.com

DigitalVD.de (Carsten Scheibe)

Clark Griswold, Oberhaupt der Schrillen Vier, hat sich geschworen, dass er und seine Lieben dieses Jahr zu Hause bleiben werden, um in Ruhe Weihnachten zu feiern. Ruhe?? Das Dach der Griswolds ist mit 25.000 Lichtern bestÃ¼ckt und Ã¤hnelt einer ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at DigitalVD.de (Carsten Scheibe)

The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)

What does National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation have in common with It's a Wonderful Life? Well, some would argue that both are holiday classics, in their own ways. But here's the real trivia nut's connection: Frank Capra III -- grandson of the ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)

DVD MovieGuide

First we saw the Griswold family go on a cross-country US trip with disastrous results. Next they took on Europe and encountered similarly nutty problems. With the seriesâ�� third installment, we watch the Griswolds celebrate the holiday season in ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at DVD MovieGuide

Mutant Reviewers From Hell

Once upon a time, when this reviewer was just a wee laddie, we had what at first appeared to be the worst Christmas ever. My father was laid off from the mill a mere four days before Dec. 25th, my mother was pregnant with twin sisters, I had the chicken ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at Mutant Reviewers From Hell

Doug Pratt's DVD Review

The holiday comedy is presented in full screen format only, though it is doubtful that much, or anything, is lost without letterboxing. Fleshtones are a little pinkish, but generally the color transfer looks fine, with deep hues and sharp detail. The ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at Doug Pratt's DVD Review

Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

National Lampoonâ��s Christmas Vacation is the perhaps best of the Vacation sequels, and somehow, the one that feels the most different from the others, probably because it doesnâ��t actually involve the Griswold family actually traveling anywhere. ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)

DVD Verdict (Patrick Naugle)

All Clark Griswold (Chase) wants is an old-fashioned Christmas with his family and relatives beside him. Apparently what Clark doesn't realize is that he'sâ�¦Clark Griswold! Of course there's no way on God's green and gold earth that the Griswold's ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at DVD Verdict (Patrick Naugle)

Washington Post (Rita Kempley)

As the unsinkable Clark Griswold of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," Chevy Chase survives a holiday season that would try Job's patience. His dreams of "the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas ever" soon give way to the realities ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at Washington Post (Rita Kempley)

DVD Town (John J. Puccio)

The four National Lampoon "Vacation" comedies with Chevy Chase saw their ups and downs, as a series of motion pictures and within each film. "Christmas Vacation," from 1989, the third in the sequence, is no exception. As a movie it marks an up turn; ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at DVD Town (John J. Puccio)

Deseret News, Salt Lake City

"National Lampoon's Vacation" a few years back was a pretty funny movie, almost in spite of itself. Though lighthearted and goofy, the film contained more than it's share of black humor with many of its very dark satirical barbs aimed at every sacred ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City

MovieFreak.com (Dennis Landmann)

John Hughes returns to the Vacation films as writer and producer of Christmas Vacation, the third in the series. The idea of staying home this time around, after a cross country "holiday roooaad" and a European vacation, is not very compelling and ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at MovieFreak.com (Dennis Landmann)

New York Times (Janet Maslin)

When Chevy Chase finds a good way to hurt himself in ''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,'' he generally tries it more than once. The board that whacks him in the chin is liable to strike again. Floors will collapse, ladders fall, Christmas trees ...read the complete Christmas Vacation movie review at New York Times (Janet Maslin)