As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.
For thoughts on National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, please check out my colleague Jessica Gonzales’s overview of the film here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation offers a lovely uptick in quality over the really nice remastered 25th anniversary Blu-Ray from 2015. While there has been no definitive word from the studio, it appears that this new disc is derived from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative due to the improvements you will spot in clarity, detail and stability. One of the greatest gains of this 4K presentation is in the employment of the color spectrum. This disc has more sumptuous natural colors that line up with how the film is supposed to appear. The HDR10 really harnesses the ole Christmas dazzle that this environment has to offer and features it to its full potential. One only has to look as far as any festive sweater to experience a visual treat. The highlights in the film are more defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found even in the Christmas light display. The black levels likewise level-up in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail.
This transfer also holds up very well when it comes to the natural film grain that resolves well without being clumpy or unnatural. There does not appear to have been any major digital tinkering on this transfer, so this disc is free of unsightly DNR, compression artifacts and other encode issues. Skin tones appear natural with healthy bouts of fine detail apparent on faces such as pores. The production design that is a signature of the holiday festivities is presented with immense depth and perfect clarity. Take a look around any given room to see a wide array of minute details that are visible for the first time ever on disc. The costumes and textural output of the scenery is simply a dream to behold with everything rendering without any issues. This is a very natural looking transfer that offers up a much-improved presentation that will improve the experience of all who make this a yearly viewing requirement.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with both a remastered DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track and the original theatrical DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio that offers a formidable experience no matter which direction you go. The movie is dialogue heavy and clarity is never an issue even in the most chaotic scenes. The track makes good use of the surround speakers with environmental flourishes and sound effects adding a lot of subtle activity. The score and key songs really fill the room throughout the movie. From the opening title song, you never experience anything in the way of age-related distortion. The track does not go overboard with the low end in a significant way, but it is active enough to remind you it exists. With both tracks available for consumers, Warner Bros. has knocked this element out of the park. There are English SDH, French, Spanish and Dutch subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: A lively track with actors Randy Quaid, Beverly D’Angelo, Johnny Galecki, and Miriam Flynn; director Jeremiah Chechik; and producer Matty Simmons. In this track the participants have a blast reminiscing about their experiences on set and excitedly pointing out different small facets of the movie and any juicy behind the scenes details. This track is a blast throughout with many weird tangents that fans will appreciate.
- Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute theatrical trailer is provided here which does a good job of getting you excited for the film.
Final Thoughts
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is a holiday classic in my home and countless homes around the globe. Its steady stream of quotable dialogue mixed with a genuine well of emotion makes this one a journey that you never get tired of taking. The ensemble is used to perfection from the one-scene wonders to the main players. What more can you say than it does not feel like the holidays without it? Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has finally given this beloved classic the home entertainment presentation it deserves with this new 4K UHD Blu-Ray. The A/V presentation is excellent, and the legacy commentary that is carried over is a lot of fun even if we wish they included more special features. If you are a fan of the film, you owe it to yourself to pick up this new package. Highly Recommended
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.