The Great Outdoors (1988)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Phil H

  
  Bit of a classic comedy that was watched by the whole family over the years whenever it would be show on TV, like many old Candy films it was a bit of a ritual to view these type of 80's comedies. The family holiday that hits disaster is a common theme with the likes of National… More
  Bit of a classic comedy that was watched by the whole family over the years whenever it would be show on TV, like many old Candy films it was a bit of a ritual to view these type of 80's comedies. The family holiday that hits disaster is a common theme with the likes of National Lampoons Vacation series being another classic and a much loved film when I was growing up, 'The Great Outdoors' isn't quite as good as 'Lampoon' to be honest, its a fun ride with some good moments but nothing outrageously funny. Candy is actually slightly upstaged here by the always good Aykroyd as the slimy 80's yuppie haha the rest of the cast including Annette Bening is rather weak like the whole film really, its simply Candy and Akyroyd that make it decent. Its cheesy and full of those obvious dated sets hehe plenty of silly stunts with doubles and the usual animal attack phobias by your typical terrified of nature yanks lol!

• Mike S

  
  This movie sure makes me long for the summer. A fun family-on-vacation flick, with John Candy and Dan Akroyd at the top of their comedic abilities. The story is quite simple and nothing extraordinary, but one that's easy to like and be entertained by. Even more so if you're… More
  This movie sure makes me long for the summer. A fun family-on-vacation flick, with John Candy and Dan Akroyd at the top of their comedic abilities. The story is quite simple and nothing extraordinary, but one that's easy to like and be entertained by. Even more so if you're the type of person who enjoy camping in the woods. A solid 3 out of 5.

• Tim S

  
  A fun John Candy vehicle.

• Dean M

  
  This John Candy and Dan Aykroyd movie is completely goofy, but funny nonetheless. The two stars make up for any deficiencies with their great comic abilities. My favourite parts are the raccoons and the bear because these make me laugh.

• Anthony L

  
  A childhood favourite and an 80's comedy classic!

• Jason O

  
  You can never go wrong with some good ol' John Candy!

• David L

  
  "The Great Outdoors" is a fun late 80s comedy that includes the talents of John Candy and Dan Aykroyd. Now I will say that most of the film is incredibly predictable and the plot is almost entirely formulaic, yet despite it all, it's hard to truly hate this film.… More
  "The Great Outdoors" is a fun late 80s comedy that includes the talents of John Candy and Dan Aykroyd. Now I will say that most of the film is incredibly predictable and the plot is almost entirely formulaic, yet despite it all, it's hard to truly hate this film. It's nothing more than average, but still enjoyable. 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 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 a solid 80s comedy and is one that can be called "fun for all ages."

• Cassandra M

  
  And I mean no-brainer in the best possible sense! It seems whenever I'm down, Dad shoots out to HMV and picks me up a nice, cheesy 80s movie out of the £5 section - this time it was The Great Outdoors and boy, did it cheer me up! A major reason to love this movie is, of course,… More
  And I mean no-brainer in the best possible sense! It seems whenever I'm down, Dad shoots out to HMV and picks me up a nice, cheesy 80s movie out of the £5 section - this time it was The Great Outdoors and boy, did it cheer me up! A major reason to love this movie is, of course, dearly departed John Candy who is impossible to dislike. In this film he plays Chet Ripley, a wholesome family man who has his vacation ruined by the in-laws crashing in uninvited. It is not just Candy who puts in a fine performance. Dan Ackroyd is great as sleazy, posing, Roman Craig - a semi yuppy with a penchant for barbecued lobster tails and trimming his nostrils! Annette Bening is also convincing as Kate Craig, Roman's spoiled but lonely wife. Yes, she is also the mum from American Beauty - I squawked this rather loudly while watching. Her role here is far simpler, but she is still on top form with some hilarious lines - spin cycle, anyone?! Stephanie Faracy comes across as pleasant and extremely likable in the role of Connie Ripley, and the kids in the movie are great - I thought the youngest boy Benny was especially funny, especially in the 'bear dump' scene. The film starts and continues brilliantly - not having a plot as such - but this is actually a good thing. Rather than bogging us down in a story we're rather presented with a series of highly amusing set - pieces: the hysterical water ski scene. The bear dump. The old man's birthday. Chet's 'Bear Story'. The bat swatting. The leech scene. I could go on but I simply wouldn't have time. This film works fabulously as this series of 'short stories' - it's almost like a character study, and the effect is great, so one wonders why John Hughes had to write in the tacky subplot of older boy Buck's dalliance with local tart-with-a-heart Cammie. It's dull fare, all in all, and Buck would be a perfectly likable character without the teen angst bit to go with it. The boredom of Buck mooching around with his sweetheart to the strains of cheese-guitar could have been cut down - or preferably cut out all together, leaving more room for developing other, shorter scenes - like the go-kart racing at the fun centre, or the pony trek through the woods. I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing these parts of the film had been made longer. The film also flags a bit towards the end when the 'moral' of the tale comes out, and Roman and Chet have to do a silly death-dash through the woods after Roman's daughters. This again seems like John Hughes feeling he has to do his duty in giving us a bit of all-American schmaltz but it would've been great without it. All in all, a very funny, light movie to pick you up when you feel down. Oh, and the raccoons are a nice touch!

• Jason S

  
  A good one for some classic John Candy and Aykroyd. It's a normal family vacation goes bad comedy but these two make the flick stand out. It's funny to see Annette Bening in this minor role as she is one of the bigger names in the movie.

• Lafe F

  
  A competent comedy like Uncle Buck and National Lampoon's Vacation films. There are great Bear and Raccoon jokes in here, as John Candy and Dan Aykroyd take their families camping. I laughed for enough of the jokes, but didn't love it.

• Stuart B

  
  Loved it...

• danny d

  
  really fun movie, i miss john candy

• Michael G

  
  I haven't seen it in about 10 years but I loved it back in the day.

• Dillon L

  
  A few laughs, but overall a waste of time.

• Juan C

  
  a funny and wild outdoors movie with mother nature taking a break and leaving these family men a battle of witty laughes. A

• Naughtia N

  
  Very entertaining. John Candy and Dan Akroyd are at their best in their career in this movie. Truly a comedy classic. I especially love the bear scene in the end of the movie, So much fun.

• Andrew F

  
  It was okay. I liked the raccoon subtitles. Those two twin girls are sooooo creepy.

• Sarah P

  
  A mediocre movie, but still very funny and an enjoyable watch.

• Jim W

  
  Of course critics hated it but I found it to be great fun when I was little.

• Barry L

  
  They work well together.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings