As the National Lampoon’s Vacation reboot takes theaters by storm (insert sarcastic tone here), my PIC (that’s partner in crime for those of you not in the know) decided it was high time we had a very serious discussion about how to rank each Rusty Griswold.
Here’s what we decided:
#4 is clearly European Vacation Rusty.
While he has some good quotes (Oink, oink, my good man) and some amusing wardrobe choices, this Rusty is the pits. The only reason we aren’t throwing him in a pit is because he’s Blake Lively’s brother. Just like Dan, he’s saved by Serena.
#3 is Christmas Vacation Rusty.
We’re not saying Johnny Galecki was annoying or a poor actor, it’s just that this version of Russ offered the least impact on the film.
#2 is where things get tricky.
After a much heated debate, we finally came to the conclusion that while we LOVE Mr. Papagiorgio (I seriously can’t stress this enough), Ethan Embry’s version of Rusty Griswold (a C+ student) must rank second.
#1 is the OG Rusty.
From stabbing his brain to downing what was apparently an empty beer can with his dad, there’s really no way any other Russ can outrank the original, Anthony Michael Hall.
As for the grown up Rusty in the reboot, a pal saw a special screening and filed this review:
Vacation fits right in line with the other movies of the franchise. There’s a scene in the beginning of the movie where Rusty scrolls through old family pictures taken from each of the first four movies and, yes, the pictures include the different actors playing each kid. The movie feels a lot more like a remake of the original than a reboot, utilizing a few similar scenes and gags from the original, giving it that “wink wink nudge nudge” feel that pays homage. There are a lot of cameos in the movie (the scenes with Chris Hemsworth are hysterically outrageous) but it’s better to be surprised when you see the flick than for me to spoil it. And while a lot of the funnier gags from the movie are seen in the various trailers on YouTube, the film brings a lot of laughs and is definitely worth seeing if you enjoyed the first four movies of the franchise.
If you see the film this weekend, be sure to tell us what you think in the comments below or send us a tweet.
