VACATION (2015)

A fan of the original - and not a fan of Ed Helms - made me prepared to hate this remake ... which means no one was more surprised than me when I found myself laughing pretty much all the way through it, even at the cruder, more stupid jokes.  Rusty Griswold (Helms) has grown up, with a beautiful wife (Christina Applegate) and two sons of his own.  He's a pilot with a mediocre commuter airline, growing stale in his routine, when he decides to mimic his father of long ago by taking the unwilling family on a drive 'cross-country to ... Walley World!  Nothing - repeat: NOTHING - goes right, often in a funny as hell way, and on their trip the family even manages a visit to Rusty's sister, where an eye-opening Chris Hemsworth shows he can be about as anti-Thor as possible, when called upon (cameos by Norman Reedus and Charlie Day, along with appearances by Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo, help greatly).  Skyler Gisondo and especially Steele Stebbins are freaking hilarious as the Griswold boys, and as much as I hate to admit it, Vacation is a very funny, foul-mouthed guilty pleasure I will be visiting again.  And again. (rated R)  B