The 2015 Vacation sequel: a chaotic road trip that divided critics and audiences
In short: When Rusty Griswold attempts to recreate his childhood family road trip, the result is a series of disastrous detours and an Albanian minivan that defies logic. While the film struggled to capture the charm of its predecessors, it remains a notable entry in the long-running series of comedic misadventures.
Released on July 29, 2015, the sixth installment of the Vacation series follows an adult Rusty Griswold, now a pilot, as he takes his wife and two sons on a cross-country trek to Walley World. The production, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, faced a long road to the screen, with development beginning as early as February 2010. The casting process was extensive, considering numerous high-profile actors for the lead role before Ed Helms was ultimately selected to portray the patriarch.
The film is perhaps best remembered for its centerpiece vehicle, the Tartan Prancer. Marketed as the Honda of Albania, this custom-built minivan was a modified Toyota Previa featuring a bizarre, mirror-image design with headlights sourced from a Land Rover LR3. This aesthetic absurdity mirrored the film's chaotic narrative, which included stops at a sewage-filled hot spring, a run-in with Four Corners police officers, and a final, stalled ride on the park's newest roller coaster, the Velociraptor.
Critical reception was largely negative, with the film holding a 27% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics like Richard Roeper labeled it a mean-spirited disaster, while others, such as Neil Genzlinger, found merit in its R-rated humor. Despite the mixed reviews, the film was a financial success, grossing $104.7 million worldwide against a $31 million budget. It remains a polarizing example of nostalgia-driven comedy that attempted to modernize a classic premise for a new generation.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Vacation (2015 film)
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