Vegas Vacation

Clark Griswold, his wife Ellen, and their two kids set off on a Las Vegas vacation that promises glamour and a break from suburban life. What begins as a well intentioned getaway soon becomes a string of comic mishaps as the clan endures delays, hotel mix ups, and the urge to squeeze one more spectacle into a single day. Clark hatches grand schemes to maximize fun only to watch them unravel in pratfalls and near misses at neon clad casinos. Ellen plays the steady foil while Rusty and Audrey react with sarcasm and affection. Across glittering venues, slot machines and showrooms the Griswolds face temptations and misunderstandings, learning that the trip is really about sticking together through chaos.

Directed by Stephen Kessler, Vegas Vacation keeps Chevy Chase in the Clark Griswold role with Beverly D'Angelo as Ellen. The screenplay, written by Elisa Bell and Bob Ducsay, builds on the franchise with fresh Vegas set pieces and the same family chemistry, letting the misadventures unfold in quick, televised style that fans recognize.

Budgeted at 25 million, the film earned around 36.4 million worldwide, a solid if unremarkable return for a late 90s vacation comedy in a well known series. The numbers reflect steady, loyal audience interest more than blockbuster reach, a sign that the Griswolds still pull a crowd even without blockbuster headlines.

Vegas Vacation slots Las Vegas into the franchise as a glossy backdrop for the Griswolds misadventures. It preserves the ongoing joke of chasing a perfect escape while highlighting the chaos that comes with family life. The film leans into the city's spectacle, making Las Vegas a character in its own right, and it keeps the series watchable for longtime fans by staging familiar setups in a new neon glow.

Critical response was mixed, with praise for the cast's timing and the familiar dynamic, countered by notes that the humor sometimes repeats familiar routines. The film still probes resilience, the tension between expectations and reality, and the idea that family ties matter more than flawless plans, offering a warm close to the Griswold road trip tradition.