This funny movie was released in the USA in July 1985 and was the second in the series of films featuring the Griswald family (note the different spelling of Griswald for this movie). The original National Lampoon's vacation was released in 1983 and was a real hit and both Chevy Chase and Beverley D'Angelo returned to the sequel as Clark and Ellen Griswald. The two kids from the first movie were not involved in the second (because the girl playing Audrey wanted to do Weird Science and the producers therefore wanted two new faces) and Dana Hill and Jason Lively came in as Audrey and Russell ("Rusty") Griswald.
The movie was written by John Hughes and is therefore a gem of comedy timing and screwball antics.
The plot is the usual mayhem. The Griswalds take part in a game show ("Pig in a poke") and manage to win a European trip. The whole trip is one disaster after another. For example, before the trip, Clark and Ellen have a little "fun" with their video camera. The camera gets stolen and, later in the trip they are horrified to see a huge billboard advertising a new porn film starring Ellen!
They visit the UK and are completely unable to comprehend the fact we drive on the other side of the road or how to use a roundabout (Americans...); oh and they also manage to destroy Stonehenge!
In Germany (though the scenes were actually filmed in Italy!) there is a really funny scene where they are looking for a distant relatives house. They cannot speak German and the Germans cannot speak english, so confusion ensues, resulting in them stopping in a strangers house because the host feels it rude to say they have no idea who they are!
The Griswalds also visit Paris where Rusty and Clark cause a dog to leap off the Eifel Tower and Rusty ends up in a topless review.
Finally the Griswalds visit Italy where they get accidentally involved in a bank robbery!.
Cameo performances are included from Moon Unit Zappa, Eric Idle (Monty Python) and Robbie Coltrane.
A fun movie, though arguably not as good as the first movie and, in my view, nowhere rear as good as National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation from 1989, that I start looking to play as soon as December starts!
Here is a trailer for the movie,
This features the song "Holiday Road" from Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac.
Also featured in the soundtrack is the great song "Back in America" by Network.
