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Movies / On DVD / Johnson Family Vacation
Johnson Family Vacation

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Johnson Family Vacation (2004)

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Reviews Counted:89

Fresh:5

Rotten:84

Average Rating:3.3/10

Consensus: The poorly crafted Johnson Family Vacation squanders its talented cast in a bland family road comedy that draws unfavorable comparisons to Chevy Chase's Vacation movies.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for some sexual references, crude humor and brief drug material

Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:Apr 7, 2004 Wide

Box Office: $31,038,582

Synopsis: AAA can't help the roadside emergency that is the JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION. Even the onboard navigation system has a meltdown on Nate Johnson (Cedric The Entertainer) and his family's cross-country... AAA can't help the roadside emergency that is the JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION. Even the onboard navigation system has a meltdown on Nate Johnson (Cedric The Entertainer) and his family's cross-country trek to their annual family reunion/grudge match. Reluctantly along for the ride are Nate's wife (Williams), who’s only in it for the kids; their rapper-wannabe son (Bow Wow); their teenage daughter (Solange Knowles) who’s fashioned herself as the next Lolita; and their youngest (Gabby Soleil), whose imaginary dog Nate just can’t seem to keep track of. Can the Johnsons survive each other and all the obstacles the road throws at them to make it to Caruthersville, Missouri? Can they find Missouri? The film boasts an ensemble cast that includes Cedric The Entertainer (BARBERSHOP), Vanessa L. Williams (SHAFT), Bow Wow (LIKE MIKE), Solange Knowles in her feature film debut, the multiple award-winning Steve Harvey ("The Steve Harvey Show") and Gabby Soleil ("The Hughleys"). JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION marks the feature film directorial debut for music video and commercial director Christopher Erskin who has helmed vids for a wide range of artists including TLC, Missy Elliot and Boyz II Men and created national ads for brands such as Pontiac and Foot Locker. It is also a first for screenwriter siblings Todd R. Jones ("C-Bear and Jamal") and Earl Richey Jones ("The Hughleys"). The film is produced by Paul Hall (HIGHER LEARNING, WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE?, Exec. Producer SHAFT); Eric C. Rhone and Cedric The Entertainer, who previously co-produced "Cedric The Entertainer: Starting Lineup" and "Cedric The Entertainer Presents..."; and Wendy Park of Hallway Pictures. -- © Fox Searchlight [More]

Starring: Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, Solange Knowles, Shannon Elizabeth

Starring: Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, Solange Knowles, Shannon Elizabeth, Steve Harvey

Director: Christopher Erskin

Director: Christopher Erskin
Screenwriter: Todd R. Jones, Earl Richey Jones
Producer: Paul Hall, Eric C. Rhone, Wendy Park, Cedric the Entertainer
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures

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Release:

May 12, 2009

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Reviews for Johnson Family Vacation

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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Too many jokes fall flat and a number of promising set-ups ... wind up going nowhere.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
08/08/04
Ethan Alter
Ethan Alter
Film Journal International

Tired and glib, it tries to milk humor from the sniping, sass and simple disrespect of its unpleasant traveling companions.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
04/08/04
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The star is funny, the movie isn't.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
04/07/04
Joe Baltake
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee

As arduous to watch as your neighbor’s poorly focused vacation slides.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
04/11/04
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

A sure-fire premise that sputters like a wet match...

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
04/08/04
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

Johnson Family Vacation is simply a bad trip.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
04/08/04
Allison Benedikt
Allison Benedikt
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I'd like to believe I could watch ­Cedric the Entertainer all day long. The tedious comedy Johnson Family Vacation puts a strain on that theory.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
04/07/04
Jami Bernard
Jami Bernard
New York Daily News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Cedric does have a gift for rip-roaring line delivery no matter how insipid or embarrassing the dialogue...But there's just no way around the picture's sorry script.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
04/06/04
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

The few funny bits confirm an old adage: See the trailer, skip the movie.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
04/07/04
Michael Booth
Michael Booth
Denver Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If you've seen the Griswolds go off on any of those National Lampoon holidays, you've sort of already experienced Johnson Family Vacation.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
04/09/04
Liz Braun
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies

Cedric pops up in a second role, as lecherous Uncle Earl, and a little of this character goes a long way -- say, roughly the distance from Anaheim to Albany.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
04/07/04
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

Eighties nostalgia has seeped so far into our pop-cultural landscape, it's starting to feel like VH1 took over the movie studios.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Weekly | comment Comment
04/16/04
Sean Burns
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly

As headliner Cedric the Entertainer demonstrates in this mediocre road-trip flick, no amount of comedic genius can pump up this flat comedy.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
04/08/04
Guylaine Cadorette
Guylaine Cadorette
Hollywood.com

For the most part, the road scenes drag on too long and get the movie sidetracked en route to the movie's modest 'family always comes first' message.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
04/07/04
Nick Carter
Nick Carter
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

We can only generously call it a pale imitation of National Lampoon's Vacation

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
08/03/04
Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central

A lackluster variation on the National Lampoon vacation formula.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
04/07/04
Angel Cohn
Angel Cohn
TV Guide's Movie Guide

None of the stars in this dopey rip-off of the Chevy Chase series deserves to be in this.

Full Review Source: Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) | comment Comment
04/07/04
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

continually plays it safe and goofy, and doesn’t allow anyone to let loose

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
04/09/04
Pete Croatto
Pete Croatto
Filmcritic.com

It may seem like the Johnson family has everything they need for a Vacation rip-off, but the one thing they forgot to pack were the punch-lines.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
04/07/04
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

The jokes tend to be as broad as they are familiar, and the movie feels too much like a retread of the National Lampoon Vacation movies.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
04/07/04
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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Latest News for Johnson Family Vacation

January 04, 2006: Trailer Bulletin: RV
For those who can't get enough of the schtick doled out in movies like "National Lampoon's Vacation" and "Johnson Family Vacation," get ready for the Barry... More...

December 20, 2005: Another One of Those Darn Family Vacations...
We've been waiting patiently and now, finally, comes news from The Hollywood Reporter regarding a sequel that will rock the whole universe. Yes, it's time for "Johnson... More...

November 17, 2005: Oh It's Already Been Broughten (Part 3)
A fresh press release from Universal informs us that there will soon be a "Bring It On 3" to enjoy, but also reminds us that, hey yeah, there WAS a direct-to-video... More...

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