Christmas Vacation (UHD Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: November 8, 2022
Rating: PG-13
Film: 3/5
 
Plot
 As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark's employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.
  
 My Thoughts
Christmas Vacation is another movie in a long line of hits written by John Hughes, but in my opinion, this one ranks towards the center of the pack in terms of his writing credits.  Sure, there are some laugh-out-loud moments, especially the house lighting sequence and the electrocuted cat, but some of the antics in the movie come off as a little forced and overall, this movie isn’t nearly as funny as the original Vacation movie.
 
I own this movie on Blu-ray and this 4K is definitely an upgrade to my legacy copy. Details and textures have more definition, and the shadows have a lot more depth. Unfortunately, the color timing has been altered slightly and it looks as if Michael Bay has been involved—lots of orange and teal casting, which makes skin tones look a bit wonky. Thankfully, this isn’t consistent throughout the film, but it’s something I noticed right away. The audio track has been updated to include a 5.1 track that’s remastered from the original 2.0 Theatrical mix. The added benefit of the surround channels gives the movie a bit more heft in the audio department and enhances the ambient effects.
 
Video 8/10
 
Audio 8.5/10 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
 
Special Features:

• Audio Commentary
• Theatrical Trailer
• Movies Anywhere Digital Copy

 

 
Conclusion
While this has its moments, it doesn’t tickle the funny bone as much as the original Vacation did, but it’s a fun film to watch during the holidays. While the PG-13 rating opened it up to a wider audience, I think it may have hurt the humor a bit because some of the funniest sequences in the original film were definitely in the “R” category. I know there are a lot of people out there who hold this film in higher esteem than I do and I’m sure they’ll be pleased with the 4K treatment. Recommended for fans.
 
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
Dual JL Audio F-110 (stacked and treated as one sub)
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[AVSCraig]

Hopefully you will review my favorite John Hughes holiday movie - Planes, Trains & Automobiles, on 4K. Looking forward to that!

[David Vaughn]

Hopefully you will review my favorite John Hughes holiday movie - Planes, Trains & Automobiles, on 4K. Looking forward to that!

It should arrive tomorrow. I LOVE that film as well. One of John Hughes' best films, IMO. 

[bmoney]

It's a Beaut Clarke!!

[Paul Heroy]

I finally saw this for the first time just 2-3 years ago. Co-worker would occasionally reference the "jelly of the month club" and I finally asked what the heck that was, lol. I like it a bit more than you David, but it's hard to top that first National Lampoon movie. 

(Actually, I wrote that and then looked up the list of NL movies - I had no idea there were so many now, OR that Animal House was actually the first NL movie!)