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New 'Vacation' offers little R&R, but comes with a much harder 'R'

CHEVY CHASE and Beverly D'Angelo never swam in a pool of human excrement. That's one of the bigger differences between "Vacation" and its antecedent, the beloved "National Lampoon's Vacation," featuring Chase as a dad who, during a particularly disastrous journey, becomes obsessed with taking his family to the theme park Walley World.

CHEVY CHASE and Beverly D'Angelo never swam in a pool of human excrement.

That's one of the bigger differences between "Vacation" and its antecedent, the beloved "National Lampoon's Vacation," featuring Chase as a dad who, during a particularly disastrous journey, becomes obsessed with taking his family to the theme park Walley World.

Now one of those kids, Russ (Ed Helms, of "The Hangover"), has the same plan: A family road trip to the storied theme park that will bond his constantly fighting children and save his staid marriage to Debbie (Christina Applegate).

"I've never even heard of the original vacation," sensitive older son James (Skyler Gisondo) says to his father on hearing the plan.

"Doesn't matter," Russ replies. "The new vacation will stand on its own."

It's one of the cleverer moments in "Vacation," reflecting a meta quality that Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum parlayed into successful comedies in the surprisingly funny and sweet "Jump Street" franchise.

"Vacation" drops that irony, as well as any nod toward sweetness. Instead, writing-directing team John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein (making their directing debut after writing the similar-in-tone "Horrible Bosses") prefer their "Vacation" hard R. That would be fine. There's nothing to say that crass can't be funny - and it sometimes is in Daley and Goldstein's iteration - but "Vacation" loses any of the ooey-gooey, family friendly heart that made you really want Clark to get to Walley World to begin with.

"Vacation" could stand on its own. And it does, without the National Lampoon brand. But this "Vacation" still nods to the original: Lindsey Buckingham's "Holiday Road" plays throughout and, much like the Wagon Queen Family Truckster in the original, the Griswolds' current vehicle of choice, nicknamed the Honda of Albania, is a monstrosity that causes a lot of their problems.

Some differences are good ones. Applegate, a talented comedian, actually gets to be funny, unlike D'Angelo, who was rarely given the chance in the original 1983 film.

As in that original - based on a script by the late, great John Hughes (from his short story "Vacation '58") and directed by the late, great Harold Ramis - the Griswolds move from one mishap to another. They return to Debbie's old sorority, where she lives up to her former Debbie Do-Anything nickname, leading her to vomit all over the front yard. They go on a white-water rafting trip with a suicidal tour guide ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star Charlie Day).

The Griswolds even meet up with Russ' sister Audrey (a wasted Leslie Mann), who is shacking up with a studly weatherman, played by Chris Hemsworth, who does well in his token pretty-boy cameo. They even meet Chase and D'Angelo, who do little more than remind us of the sweet goofiness of the original.