I was wondering why I had never heard of this movie and after watching it, I know why. It's not very good. Bringing back the original Audrey was cool, but they had her act like the second Audrey. They brought back Eric Idle to try to make up for the lack of comedy but he wasn't in enough scenes. Using a green screen instead of actually having them be on a boat in the ocean was just sad. If you liked the original movies you will want to see this once, then forget about it.
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13Funbags16 January 2019
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MichaelMovieLoft4 April 2004I am a fan of a few of the Vacation films, but when a movie franchise goes from the big screen to the TV screen, you know it's out of steam. Made for TV National Lampoon films do not do well on TV. This movie is another reason.
I think a lot of us were excited when this was coming out, but we also had to face the reality...it's a TV movie. Randy Quaid is fine as Cousin Eddie, but is better in a supporting role than the lead. Dana Barron sets history as the first actor to reprise her role as one of the Griswold kids. She is just as pretty, but it doesn't help a thin script.
Why was this movie even made? It was probably because NBC recently picked up another few years of presenting X-mas Vacation. There is nothing wrong with the acting. It's all in the script. It's just not that funny. People need to think before they write stuff like this. It is one Christmas movie I do not recommend. -
ChuckStraub27 November 2004I just watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2 on DVD, hoping to see something at least close to the original, great holiday comedy, 'Christmas Vacation'. I saw nothing of the kind. You can tell right from the start that this movie just wasn't going to measure up. It's too bad it has a title that links it to the original Christmas Vacation. It's really kind of sad. The film can't stand on it's own merits. I think too many people will view this film on the strength of the title and it does not come close to that level of comedy. Other than the title, there is very little connecting the movie to the original 'Christmas Vacation' and even less of a connection to Christmas at all. The comedy is very simplistic and the plot poor. Children might find some humor here but most adults would only get a chuckle here and there. This movie is a flop. Don't waste your time with it.
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jymcgr24 December 2003Why oh why did they have to try and make a sequel to one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time. The movie is a train wreck on every level and should have never been made. Randy Quaid's portrayal of cousin Eddie is an over the top caricature of his previous outings as cousin Eddie. Also, the Eddie character is not interesting enough to carry an entire movie. Even "eye candy" Sung Hi Lee could not redeem this hunk of holiday crap. Please do not waste your time on this move, just watch the original again.
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missygoldstein22 December 2003This movie was a disaster. Why do movie producers insist on tarnishing the name of something that was truly great? They did not HAVE to use the "vacation" name to make a story out of this piece of crap, but that is the ONLY way anyone would have EVER watched I suppose. First off, what is Vacation without Chevy Chase? He WAS the movie. The original vacation was hilarious and I still laugh when I see it. The second was not as good, but still pretty decent. The Christmas one,....hmmmm, not crazy about, but not horrid. This one basically found the long lost Audrey and put her together with her trailer trash cousins, which if you had seen the first movie know would NEVER happen. So it was her, cousin eddie, and his wife and the grandfather, played by Ed Asner. All these characters were morally depraved, and just disgusting all together. The story was rediculous and not the least bit funny, but really sad.
They did the same thing to such greats as "Jaws", "Crocodile Dundee", "Superman" and so many others. They milked these stories for all they were worth. They took the original piece of work and dragged it through the mud!!!! Why? So Sad! -
srbestafka5 January 2004I knew this would be one of the worst movies I could have imagined...but in just 20 short minutes it actually exceeded my low expections by being possibly THE worst movie I have ever seen.
I have already wasted too much time typing about it...trust me, it sucks. -
milky-431 December 2003I sat through all 2 hours. I do not know what was worse, the awful plot, the lame characters or the hawaiian hottie that Eddie's 11 yearold kid and 80 year old grandpa made sexual advances toward. The money spent on this was just flushed down the throne. Matty Simmons should be ashamed. The original idea for this movie was "A Swiss Family Griswold" and it somehow turned into this mess. The only bright spot is that it's ratings were so bad we will never see this on TV again. AVOID AT ALL COSTS...RENT ERNEST SAVES XMAS or something else.
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cully1620 January 2006I'm a big fan of the "Vacation" franchise, and I love Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie, and at least a couple of the behind-the-scenes names were involved in this project (most notably Matty Simmons, who produced or executive-produced all 4 of the theatrical releases, as well as "Animal House"). For those reasons I figured this made-for-TV spin off might be worth checking out, even without Chevy Chase.
For the record, I did not expect it to be very good; I just thought it might be a slightly amusing diversion. Therefore, my high level of disappointment goes to prove just how bad this utter turd of a movie really was. It was mind-numbingly, jaw-droppingly, heart-stoppingly, head-explodingly terrible. Yet, somehow, I could not stop watching it. It's a sickness I have; I can't seem to walk out on a film or give up on a TV show before it ends. Nothing has ever made me want two hours of my life back more than this movie. -
rrorlo26 November 2004I loved the original, I watch it every year. but the second is a piece of garbage and it never should have been made. The second could have worked if there was a different location. The son was not an original or didn't even act like one of Eddie's kids. Third was too smart for Eddie which downplayed his father role. None of the other kids where in it. It just could of been a lot better. I don't know why they even tried to make this movie. There was no continuncy from the first movie. I will pretend that this one doesn't even exist. It is sad that the actors didn't even see that they where made fools of. A really bad movie. I just think that i wasted an hour or more on a bad movie and i really love all of the national lampoon films.
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xman197420 December 2003God bless Randy Quaid...his leachorous Cousin Eddie in Vacation and Christmas Vacation hilariously stole the show. He even made the awful Vegas Vacation at least worth a look.
I will say that he tries hard in this made for TV sequel, but that the script is so NON funny that the movie never really gets anywhere. Quaid and the rest of the returning Vacation vets (including the orginal Audrey, Dana Barron) are wasted here. Even European Vacation's Eric Idle cannot save the show in a brief cameo....
Pathetic and sad...actually painful to watch....Christmas Vacation 2 is the worst of the Vacation franchise. -
Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki22 December 2003I watched about the first 30 - 40 minutes of this movie on television the other night and can agree that this is by far the worst of the series. Not any of it is funny, even Randy Quaid can't save this mess. Eric Idle wasn't funny in N.L. Euro. Vacation, and he's even worse here. The sole laugh in this is when they're at the airport, and some guy dressed as Santa walks by the camera yelling "Did anybody lose this?" as he holds up a prosthetic leg.
Then again, what can anyone expect from an in-name-only, made-for-television sequel to a classic movie released fourteen years earlier? -
AshY138428 October 2007The title of this review says it all: this movie was a true comedic masterpiece.
In my eyes, Randy Quaid can do no wrong. He is the most versatile and talented actor since Jim Varney, and this film does wonders in showcasing his ability. Everyone else in the cast is perfect, including Fred Willard, who shows that sometimes it pays off to never say "no" to a project.
The only problem I have with this movie (and why it only got 8 out of 10 instead of the full 10 from me) is that there was no Chevy Chase! It can't be a Vacation movie without Chevy! His comedy is the stuff of legends, and will go down in the annals of history along with other greats like Pauly Shore and Sinbad.
All in all, a truly masterful film with great performances and impeccable dialogue. It's a shame this movie wasn't released in theaters, or else Return of the King would have had a real contender at the Oscars! -
peter_lumley23 March 2005Randy Quaid is given an all paid family vacation to a tropical island after being bitten by a lab monkey - let chaos ensue. People would have you believe this is the worst movie ever. If you truly love the Vacation movies, you'll probably like this, if only for the fact it's kept the franchise alive, plus some of the old cast are there. Sadly if you're looking for Chevy, he is not to be found, and I have no idea why.
There is some laughs to be had amongst the dodgy effects. The acting is only bad because everyone has to ham up their role. I laughed a fair few times and I've seen a lot of bad movies. This wouldn't go on my black list at all, in fact I'd watch it again.
But don't expect it to look as good or be as funny as any prior Vacation movie, after all this was just a TV movie with a low budget. It's now available on DVD with a making of.
6 out of 10 -
kibler@adelphia.net20 November 2005National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure (2003) Randy Quaid, Miriam Flynn, Dana Barron, Jake Thomas, Sung Hi Lee, Eric Idle, Fred Willard, Ed Asner, D: Nick Marck. Embarrassing direct-to-video flop has oafish Cousin Eddie and family on an expenses-paid vacation to the South Pacific by his boss, hoping the dunce won't sue his company after being bitten by a smarter lab monkey! Idiotic spin off can't measure up to any of the Vacation films (even European Vacation!), with a question of whether or not the filmmakers thought the script was actually funny. Not even Quaid, Willard, or Asner can make it remotely watchable. 83 min., Not rated. *
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TC-424 December 2003I was hoping that this would be funny, boy was I wrong! Any Gilligan's Island would have been funnier. Not only was it boring but the quantity of commercials was absurd. I was glad when it was over. Looks like I resume going to the video store soon.
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obiemookie23 December 2003OK...this MAY contain Spoilers...but who really cares? Do not, if you value the seconds in your life, waste your time on this pile of garbage. There is not one redeeming quality in this movie...and I say that as a full fan of the Vacation Series of movies. I LOVED the Cousin Eddie character from the other Vacation movies...but he only works well as a supporting character. Do I blame Randy Quaid for the failure of this movie? Not at all. I think he's a great actor...but this film lacks any cohesion...the pacing is off...it's just plain unfunny. And the actor who plays the "Third"...Jake Thomas...was just awful, more than likely due to a real lack of direction. I don't know why...but his whole character creeped me out.
Some people say that this is a horrible movie because Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo aren't in it...that has nothing to do with it. The script, directing, acting...special effects...everything is a train wreck. With Orphans. And kittens. Oh...and the Train ran over some old people too.
Please, whatever you do...stay away from this filth! I call it filth because it dirties the name of the Vacation Franchise. -
elvis6823 December 2003I was shocked at how bad it was and unable to turn away from the disaster. This made 'Major League II' and 'Blues Brothers 2000' Oscar-worthy in comparison.
I have tried to remember watching anything as bad as this in my life and was unable to come up with anything even close. -
plutus194720 June 2005Sorry Randy. I love your comedy but in this case you really laid a 'Golden Turkey' egg.
The plot was thinner than a single layer of my skin, the acting more wooden than a Giant Redwood and I think the direction was non existent.
There certainly appeared to be pathetic attempts at take-offs of other films, Jaws and European Vacation to name but two.
If memory serves me right Eric Idle played the same type of character in Nat Lamp European Vacation, but much better.
I am wondering if Chevy Chase and Beverley D'Angelo were approached to make this sequel. If so, they certainly knew what they were doing when they turned their parts down.
In my opinion no one can better Chevy and Beverley in their roles as the Griswolds and Randy Quaid complemented them admirably in the earlier movies.
Randy Quaid should have quit National Lampoon whilst he was ahead. -
amatrimonials17 August 2012First of all, I have to confess to not having found any of the previous Vacation installments particularly funny. They elicited a few chuckles but were otherwise so jaded that my eyes nearly fell out of their sockets with all the rolling I made them do.
This abomination of a movie is so bad as to be positively criminal. Forget waterboarding; THIS is an example of a cruel and unusual punishment if ever I saw one. Christmas Vacation 2 is not only not in the least bit funny; it is actually just plain stupid to boot. The characters don't look, talk or act drolly, nor do they find themselves in comical situations. It's all terribly contrived and slap-stick (well, far more slap than stick, and I mean a slap in the VIEWERS' faces!). It's a testament to my masochistic tendencies that I braved through about a half of it, albeit over the course of three hours: I just had to stop and take sanity breaks after pretty much every scene. I gave up at that point and went out for a walk in a thunderstorm, hoping a lightning might bring me sweet relief.
Even the presence of the jaw-droppingly stunning Sung-Hi Lee could not salvage this train wreck.
I know this is not constructive criticism; it's just that this picture is beyond any meaningful critique. -
gbtcb1 December 2019The best part of the movie is with Sung Li in the Laguna.
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CuriosityKilledShawn20 December 2004Christmas Vacation 2 is nowhere near as classic as the original. But that doesn't mean it's not worth a few laughs. Just switch your brain off and enjoy an afternoon of stupidness.
Cousin Eddie (the ever lovable Randy Quaid) is housesitting for Audrey (the totally sexy Dana Barron) during the Xmas holidays but loses his job at the Nuclear research plant to a chimp. Feeling down about how hopeless he is, Eddie is cheered up when the company offer his family and all expenses paid trip to Hawaii. So off they go (uncle Nick and Audrey too) for their dream Christmas Vacation. Obviously disaster is never too far away.
This movie is basically pointless. The first was about Clark Griswald wishing to give his family the best Xmas ever. This 'un is just an excuse for a string of bad jokes with terrible comic timing. In this regard it's kinda similar to Vegas Vacation, the wit and sentiment of John Hughes is sorely missed.
Quaid does his best, but there is a lot of not funniness to it. He deserves better material, Matty Simmons may have produced all the other Vacation movies but he hasn't a clue how to write a good script. Christmas Vacation 2 is to the original what Home Alone 4 was to Home Alone.
Plus I have a few questions, which I am sure a lot of other people will be asking. Why does Audrey's plumbing go mental? Why do Eddie's clothes stay impossibly white for the entire film? Why is there an elephant on the island?
Plus there isn't that much of an Xmas feel to it. Sure the scenes in Chicago and quaint and snowy but a Hawaiian Island is hardly the best setting for a festive movie. However, Eddie does whistle and hum enough Xmas tunes to make up for it. But where the hell is the wonderful Christmas Vacation song?
Buy if you're a fan of the first. Rent if you're only curious. It's nice to see a great character such as Cousin Eddie given the center spotlight but I just wish he was given funnier stuff to do.
The DVD is in above average 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen with okay Dolby 2.0 surround that is mainly used for general ambiance but still sounds fine whenever required. A handful of trailers, a brief featurette and a commentary make up the extras. -
Christmas-Reviewer17 December 2016BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE FILM. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 200 HOLIDAY FILMS. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM HONEST!
This made for television film is the worse movie ever made. Randy Quaid & Miriam Flynn return to play Cousin Eddie and Katherine. Shocking thing is that Dana Barron returns to play Audrey the role she originated in 1983. Audrey was played later by Julia Lewis, Dana Hill, and Marisol Nichols. Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo wisely passed on this.
The story begins with Cousin Eddie at his latest workplace, a nuclear facility where he 'works' alongside a monkey. When the monkey outperforms him in every test (specifically mental agility), the decision is made to fire him. Upon finding out the news, the two get into an argument which results in the monkey biting him.
With Christmas approaching, Eddie is worried about what this job loss will mean for him and his family and he decides to talk to his former boss. Although the thought never occurs to him, the nuclear company is convinced that he will sue. As a preemptive countermeasure, they offer him and his family (along with Audrey Griswold and his Uncle Nick) a free vacation to an island in the South Pacific. While on holiday they take a trip on a boat, while Eddie attempts to catch a shark, they get lost and eventually shipwrecked on an isolated island.
There is not one laugh in this movie. Avoid! -
EDAsh94120 December 2003Many people will think this was a terrible movie because it didn't have Chevy Chase in it and it was a TV movie. I tell you what, this movie is a new classic. Randy Quaid was great as his famous character Cousin Eddie Johnson and other familiar faces return as well to reprise Cathrine and (Vacation 1's) Audry Griswold. The plot was a little silly, but that's what Eddie is: a silly man who's not all that bright. The slapstick comedy wasn't overflooding the movie, however Eric Idle does a great job at his slapstick approach as the accident-prone English man from Vacation 2. If you need a good laugh, this movie will do it for you. It will never replace Christmas Vacation 1, but it'll tickle your funny bone.
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Randy Quaid reprised his role as Cousin Eddie from the Vacation films. In this television film, he is joined by Miriam Flynn as his loving wife, Catherine. They live with their son, Clark, at adult Audrey's house in Indianapolis, Indiana. It's very nice of Audrey to let them stay with her. Eddie works as a lab experiment. They get sent to a South Pacific Island probably Hawaii. Their other children are elsewhere. I was happy to see Dana Barron reprise her role as Audrey, the original actress. While the script could use some work, the film does try hard at times while trying to be clean. Ed Asner joined the family as Uncle Nick whose wife has left him. They end up on a deserted island but enjoy Christmas anyway.
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Sjsharksfan1928 November 2004I can't believe I bought this movie on DVD. I don't even remember it being shown on TV last year. Why in the world couldn't they have just done a real sequel to one of the best Christmas movies ever made? Damn and Randy Quaid looks like he's been on the same drugs as Jerry Lewis. I didn't know about this movie until I bought it tonight and thought I would check it out on IMDb and see how it was rated. Boy did I make a mistake. If your reading this review be warned stay away from it and just stick to the first Christmas Vacation. Well at least I didn't pay more then 10 bucks for it. Maybe I can trade it in and get half of that back at Tower Records. Then again maybe not. PS I still haven't watched it yet, my DVD player went on the fritz tonight watching another wonderful movie, The Chronicles of Riddick (Unrated Director's Cut) woo freaking hoo.