National Lampoon's Vacation movies in order: where to watch them

National Lampoon's Vacation movies in order: where to watch them

National Lampoon's Vacation franchise is based on John Hughes' short story Vacation '58. The comedy film series follows the Griswold family as they embark on their cross-country vacation. Watching them in order of release will maximise your experience. These are the National Lampoon's Vacation movies in order and where to watch them.

How many Vacation movies are there?
Dana Barron, actor Anthony Michael Hall, actress Beverly D'Angelo and actor Chevy Chase pose for the Warner Bros. movie "National Lampoon's Vacation" in 1983. Photo: Michael Ochs (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

The first National Lampoon's Vacation movie premiered in 1983 and was a box office hit. It was so popular it spawned five sequels. The plot follows the misadventures of the Griswold family in pursuit of a perfect holiday. Beyond entertainment, the movies have inspired various advertising campaigns for holiday spots.

National Lampoon's Vacation movies in order

How many Vacation movies are there? There are six movies in the National Lampoon franchise. Knowing where to start can be confusing, but below is a list of all the movies in the order of release.

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National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

National Lampoon's Vacation was the first movie in the series. The comedy adventure film was released in 1983 and was directed by Harold Ramis. The movie starred Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Imogene Coca in the lead. It has an IMDb rating of 7.3/10.

The film revolves around the Griswold family's road trip from Chicago to California. Their quest to get to Wally World, a fictional theme park, is hilarious and full of mishaps. If you're looking for a good Christmas movie, this is it.

National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)

This is the first sequel of the movie. National Lampoon's European Vacation was directed by Amy Heckerling and featured Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Dana Hill in the lead.

The film follows the Griswolds as they embark on a holiday in Europe. The trip is free thanks to the famous TV game show Pig in a Poke. The family is rushing to visit Europe's major cities such as London, Paris, Rome and Berlin. However, mishaps strike and threaten to ruin their experience. Although the movie was hilarious, it didn't outdo the original film.

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National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

The film follows the story of Clark Griswold, who wants to have a lovely, traditional Christmas. He also wants to host the best family holiday.

The party is interrupted by a series of events, including broken equipment, ineffectual relatives, and the authorities. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a great movie to watch with your loved ones over Christmas.

Vegas Vacation (1997)

The sequel film was released in 1997. Vegas Vacation was directed by Stephen Kessler and stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Randy Quaid.

The Griswold family can't wait to hit the road again. They forget their past stress and have a good time in Las Vegas. Everything is going well until Eddie appears out of nowhere. His happy little band accompanies him on stage. Wayne Newton falls for Ellen, who performs every night in Vegas.

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The film's script was criticised as sloppy and uninspiring, just like the Christmas Vacation.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2 (2003)

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2 is the fifth film in the franchise. The comedy film was directed by Nick Marck.Actors Randy Quaid, Miriam Flynn and Dana Barron reprising their roles as Cousin Eddie, Catherine and Audrey Griswold.

In the film, the Griswold family spend Christmas in Wally World. Clark still tries to make it a perfect Christmas for his family, but things don't seem to work in his favour as usual. This time, the entire family get stranded on an isolated island.

The film is funnier than the previous movies. Its primary focus is not on the family's misadventures but on the hilarious situations in which it finds itself. However, it has the lowest IMDb rating compared to other movies in the franchise.

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Vacation (2015)

The comedy-adventure is the final film in the National Lampoon series. Vacation premiered in 2015 and was directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Talented actors Ed Helms, Christina Applegate and Skyler Gisondo starred in the lead.

The story revolves around Rusty taking a holiday. He has always worked hard but has never been recognised for it. Rusty decides to surprise his loved ones with a road trip across America. They set on the journey as he returns to his childhood locations, mainly the fascinating Wally World.

Although the movie was low-budget and received negative reviews, it succeeded at the box office. Chevy Chase was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor.

How many National Lampoon Vacation movies are there?

There are six movies in the franchise. Below is a summary of the order of the Vacation movies:

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  • National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
  • National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)
  • National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
  • Vegas Vacation (1997)
  • National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2 (2003)
  • Vacation (2015)

Is Vacation a sequel?

It is a sequel to the first 1983 National Lampoon's Vacation movie. The film was released in 2015 and was the last in the franchise.

Where to watch National Lampoon's Vacation movies

The movies can be watched on Prime Video or Max. Additionally, you can watch these films online or purchase them on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu. This is, however, dependent on your geographical location.

If you are a comedy movie person, watch National Lampoon's Vacation movies. However, to have the best experience, watch them according to their release dates. You can watch the movie series on Amazon Prime Video or rent them on Apple TV or Vudu.

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Legit.ng published an article about weird movies. There are many weird movies from different genres. They are not only strange but can be quite interesting at the same time. No matter your taste, there is always some strange movie to watch.

Weird movies tell stories that do not conform to the norm. They take your imagination to places it would not usually go to. If you are looking for an uncomfortable but exciting movie, here is a perfect list for you.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Naomi Karina avatar

Naomi Karina (Lifestyle writer) Naomi Karina has been a digital content writer for more than two years. She joined the Legit team in August 2022. She graduated Bachelor of Commerce from KCA University in 2012. She also holds a Higher Diploma in Human Resources from the IHRM and a Diploma in Marketing from Kenyatta University. She is a content creator who enjoys writing about various topics such as biographies, entertainment and business. In 2023, Naomi finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She expanded her skills in 2024 by undertaking the Google News Initiative course.

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