Ferien zu dritt

As a child of the eighties, its hard not to view this film thru the lens of nostalgia. John Candy is hilarious as the simple but decent family guy who wishes to take his family on a vacation to the great outdoors. His plans are rudely disrupted by his boorish brother in law, who crashes the family event and manages to disrupt all of Candy's plans. While there's nothing particularly stunning or insightful here, its fun and reminds me of days gone by. Although seen thru the eye of comedians, many of us can remember "disastrous" family vacations like this, with relatives that we sometimes couldn't stand and plans gone awry, but still forming some of our most fond memories. It is also somewhat bittersweet for me, as most of the beautiful and rustic locales in the film have disappeared during the intervening years, a loss I hadn't even noticed or thought about until I watched the film again. The film is very family friendly and, if you haven't seen it, definitely worth a viewing.

Two families go on vacation together in a Canadian log cabin.

This is an enjoyable comedy powered by the presence of John Candy and Dan Ackroyd.

I saw this many times as a child and recently as a forty-something. I don't think it's quite as good as I remember (as is often the case when you re-watch movies you enjoyed as a child) but the two stars still provide enough entertainment to make it work.

I think many people have family or friends they tolerate in small doses, and there is nothing quite like going on vacation together to remind you why this is the case. This is the central concept of 'The Great Outdoors' and the basis for so of much of the humour. Key to this is relationship of the main characters Chet and Roman, who are the respective patriarchs of each family, and about as opposite you can get in both values and personality.

Candy and Ackroyd are perfectly cast in the above roles. The script is not in the same league as other notable 80s comedies, but the performances of each elevate the material significantly. Ackroyd in particular lives and breathes the obnoxious, arrogant brother-in-law from hell and makes a potentially annoying creation hilariously funny. I think many people have a Roman in the family and might be able to empathise with the situation. Candy adds a likeable, laid back, charismatic presence and brings his natural, improvised banter to many scenes. He seems to have wonderful chemistry with everyone he shares the screen with.

Annette Benning and Stephanie Faracy make some reasonably good contributions to the humour, particularly the 'spin cycle' references and generally when they both stand by their husbands during the inevitable family bust-up.

Some of the gags are more visual. The waterskiing sequence is great fun, likewise the montage of holiday park activities, lightening bolts, and bear related shenanigans.

Not everything works for me. I find the repetitive gags involving raccoons mildly amusing at best and all the scenes involving the eldest son Buck's teen romance feel like a way to stretch out the movie to feature length. I remember as a child I used to fast forward these parts on my VHS and they haven't got better with age.

As ever, I believe comedy is very much in the eye of the beholder and it depends on your personal taste as to whether you find it funny. It is a typically 80s PG comedy that is family friendly but pushes the boundaries in terms of its adult themes. I am probably rating it higher than it deserves due to being a huge fan of both stars and the nostalgia associated with watching it as a child.

It's getting so you can spot a John Hughes script from fifty miles off anymore.

"The Great Outdoors" is his, he'd have trouble disowning this one. It has his earmarks all over it:

1) Slapstick chaos ("Home Alone")

2) Teen love ("Pretty in Pink")

3) Animals with human tendencies ("101 Dalmatians")

4) Thick-headed adults (just about all his movies)

And, of course, there are laughs to be had here. Candy and Aykroyd as the feuding brothers are extremely funny and their chemistry works very well here. Faracy and Bening (!) do well as their long-suffering wives. Even Prosky serves up laughs as the campground proprietor.

But you have to feel sorry for that poor bald bear in the end (get it?).

Seven stars. Time-tested Hughes humor and a solid cast to set it off just right. Good use of raccoons, too.

It's hard to view "The Great Outdoors" as more than just a cog in the high-production machine of late 80s comedy including the talents of John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, etc. Most of the film is incredibly predictable and the plot is almost entirely formulaic, yet despite it all, it's hard to truly despise this film. It's nothing more than average, but still enjoyable. Of all the films that master 80's comedy writer John Hughes has written ("Ferris Bueller," "The Breakfast Club") this is not one of his standouts.

John Candy stars as Chet Ripley, yet another likable protagonist who is always getting screwed over by his jerk of a co-star, in this case Dan Akyroyd as his brother-in-law, Roman Craig. Chet wants peace and quiet in a small Canadian lakefront town with his family when the Craigs drop in uninvited. It's so overdone and overused, but a few of the scenes are quite funny and somewhat unique.

What makes this film different is that it feels more family-oriented. Not in the sense that it's appropriate for all ages, but in the sense that the film offers something for every member of the family. Whether it's the adult dialogue, the films troublesome kids, or the unimportant teenage fling/romance subplot, "Great Outdoors" tries to make a reason for every demographic to see this movie. It seems really contrived, but other than the National Lampoon's "Vacation" movies, this is honestly one of the most family-oriented comedies of that era.

"Great Outdoors" is not a staple of 80s comedy, but it does add some ample padding in the overall collection, especially when it comes to "fun for all ages."

I don't understand why people don't understand this movie. John Candy's a laid-back middle-classer. Dan Akyroyd's a suave, rich debonar. Somehow these two manage to click together fine. They should have done more movies together, not to mention this tale has cool catch phrases: "Dad, isn't it illegal to drive with a bear on the hood of your car?"