Film Review: "Vacation" (2015).

"What could go wrong?" This is Vacation. This comedy film written and directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, in their directorial debuts. It is the fifth installment of the Vacation film series, serving as a soft reboot. The film follows Rusty Griswold who plans a cross-country road trip with his wife and two sons in a bid to revive the lost ties between them. However, their trip turns into a series of mishaps for the family.

In February 2010, it was announced by New Line Cinema that a new Vacation film was in development with Goldstein and Daley hired to pen the script and direct. Vacation (1983), Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), and Lost in America (1985) served as influences for the film. In July 2012, it was announced that Ed Helms would star as Rusty Griswold. Helms would be the sixth actor to portray Rusty after Anthony Michael Hall (Vacation); Jason Lively (National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)); Johnny Galecki (National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)); Ethan Embry (Vegas Vacation (1997)); and Travis Greer (Hotel Hell Vacation (2010)). Initially, Hall, Embry, and Galecki were offered to reprise the role, but they declined. Will Ferrell, Jason Sudeikis, Adam Sandler, and Michael Rosenbaum were considered before Helms was ultimately cast. By early October 2014, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Chris Hemsworth, Leslie Mann, Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Charlie Day, Ron Livingston, Norman Reedus, Keegan-Michael Key, Regina Hall, Elizabeth Gillies, Nick Kroll, Michael Peña, and Colin Hanks rounded out the film's cast. Dana Barron, Dana Hill, Juliette Lewis, and Marisol Nichols were also asked to reprise the role of Audrey Griswold, but they also declined. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and took place throughout Georgia, North Carolina, Utah, Arizona, Illinois, and California.

The film stars Helms, Applegate, Gisondo, Stebbins, Hemsworth, Mann, Chase, D'Angelo, Day, Livingston, Reedus, Key, Hall, Gillies, Kroll, Peña, and Hanks. Thanks largely to the cast's zaniness and comic timing, this is a very funny film. The result is a confident humor and throwaway style that helps sustain the laughs -- of which there are quite a few.

Like the original, blessed by a brilliantly befuddled star turn from Ed Helms, Vacation is one of the more consistent – and thoroughly quotable – screwball instalments of the series. The film, which is more controlled than other Lampoon movies have been, is careful not to stray too far from its target. The result is a confident humor and throwaway style that helps sustain the laughs – of which there are quite a few. The film offers an enjoyable trip through familiar comedy landscapes thanks to Goldstein and Daley for populating the film with a host of well-known comedic performers in passing parts. The visual gags come thick and fast, and are about as subtly signposted as the exit markers on a freeway. An exercise in the comedy of humiliation which is the stuff of shamefaced giggles. I loved it. I couldn't figure out for anything why people didn't love that more.

Simon says Vacation receives: