Customer Reviews

Johnson Family Vacation [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Meet the new generation's vacationing family as they travel from California to Missouri and encounter all sorts of silly experiences along the way.

Nate Johnson (played by Cedric the Entertainer) begins his family vacation by picking up his SUV from the dealer and finding out he now has a "hip-hop mobile" complete with hydraulics and rapper wheels. His son, (Lil' Bow Wow), now of course thinks of his dad as cool. Estranged from his wife (Vanessa Williams), Nate has convinced her to take a ride to his family reunion along with his teenage boy-crazy daughter (Solange Knowles) and his youngest child (Gabby Soleil). All kinds of funny things happen along the road and family issues begin to come to a head. The reunion is hilarious with Nate and his brother (Steve Harvey) competing for their mother's attention....let the competitions begin!

Cedric the Entertainer is very funny in his role as the nerdy insurance selling dad; he is a gifted performer and has the chance to show off all his stuff in this role. Vanessa Williams is still beautiful and amazingly good as the serious Johnson mom. Lil Bow Wow shows he is not all hip-hop in his role as the Johnson son. Solange Knowles is perfectly cast as the teenage Johnson daughter with an eye for the boys. And how sweet is little Gabby Soleil as the youngest Johnson. Of course Steve Harvey cannot be denied as the competitive Johnson brother. The best part of this movie is the talent contest at the reunion where we get to see Cedric in all his glory and Harvey doing a "Miss Jackson" routine! This movie is light-hearted and entertaining for the whole family with a heartwarming ending of course so sit back and let the Johnson's do the driving.

the movie was hillarious! preshel went to go see it on the same day that i did, and we laughed baout it for a week. if you are looking for a good movie that is guarenteed to make you relax, BUY THIS MOVIE NOW! i promise it will have you rollin'.

When I first heard about this movie, I wasn't sure I wanted to see it because it featured a lot of teenage hip-hop artists of the moment (like Bow Wow and Solange Knowles), so I thought it would be teen-oriented (not that there's anything wrong with that). But it actually isn't. And on top of all that, this movie is pretty funny.

Cedric the Entertainer plays Nate Johnson, a man who is trying to drive his son D.J. (Bow Wow), daughters Nikki (Solange Knowles) and Destiny (Gabby Soleil), and (separated) wife Dorothy (Vanessa L. Williams) to the annual Johnson Family Reunion in California. But they somehow end up driving all across unnecessary states (they go from New Mexico to Colorado to Kansas to Missouri) while encountering strange situations -- the strangest of which would have to be hitchhiker Chrishelle (Shannon Elizabeth).

The funniest part of the movie to me would have to be when Nate expresses his dismay of D.J.'s CDs, and what Nate in turn does with them. But overall, the movie is great. The only thing I really didn't understand was why Jennifer Freeman had such high billing (she was listed fourth, I think), because she was only in one or two quick scenes, and she didn't even have any speaking parts. But regardless, Johnson Family Vacation is worth checking out at the theater.

Anthony Rupert

At their best, road trip movies can be transformative adventures (e.g., "Y Tu Mama Tambien"; "Midnight Run"). At their worst, they can just be unfocused, meandering wastes of time. Unfortunately, this movie tended toward the latter. Instead of transformation we get one-liners and sight gags, and not even enough of those. Also this movie wasted of fine acting talent, especially, of all people, Shari Headley, whom I fell in love with in the classic "Coming to America," but is relegated to a bit part here. Come back Shari!

Perfect cast of characters in a very fun movie. Although some parts of the movie are predictable but the acting makes the scenes fun and comedic. Reccommend this movie to anyone looking for a good laugh.

AAA can't help the roadside emergency that is the JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION. Even the on-board navigation system has a meltdown on Nate Johnson and his family's cross-country trek to their annual family reunion/grudge match. Reluctantly along for the ride are Nate's wife, who's only in it for the kids; their rapper-wannabe son; their teenage daughter who's fashioned herself as the next Lolita; and their youngest, 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. I loved this movie...Maybe because I am a huge fan Edric and Steve Harvey. But I actually thought that this movie was very well done. It's not the normal for Edric or Steve but sometimes you have to go a different direction and I think that they picked the right direction. It's a nice movie that you can take your kids, I would recommend this movie to anyone.

I really enjoy Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey, Vanessa Williams and thought this movie would be good. I was sadly mistaken. This movie only garnered a few chuckles, but with the Cedric starring in it I really expected to laugh a lot more. Nate Johnson is trying to prepare for the family trip to see his folks. He is separated from his wife Dorothy. To keep up appearances the family goes on the trip, but Nate goes to pick up his new SUV first. He ends up with this pimped out ride he did not want, but there is no time to get rid of the extras. Of course his son D. J. is impressed with the new car.

Dorothy only lives a block away from her husband. Once on the road silliness ensues like picking up a strange hitchhiker, letting that hitchhiker have dinner with the family, and then putting her up in a hotel room. Turns out she is some kind of Satan worshipper who liked to carry a baby alligator. The car pretty much getting destroyed, and the family ending up in jail. At the family reunion, the families perform in a talent show to win a trophy, and Nate is determined to show up his brother Mack. In my family we don't have a talent show per se, but the kids would entertain the grown ups, so I did not find the talent show segment too far fetched. Cedric doubles as his Uncle in the film, and the Uncle role was more annoying then funny. Eddie Murphy is the best at pulling off that type of role (Nutty Professor, Coming to America).

The one scene I found funny was Nate complaining about the music his son D.J. listens to. "Gotta wear a condom to listen to this music." Nate then proceeds to toss D.J's Tupac, and Biggie CD's out of the car. D.J in turn tosses his Nate's old school music out of the window. This movie I'm sure was easy for Bow Bow, the part was not a stretch for him at all. The chemistry between Williams and Cedric just was not there. I really don't think this was the movie for her to be in. She is much better in Dramas. The side plot of stalker Stan (Christopher B. Duncan -Jamie Foxx show) was pretty useless. Shari Headley had such a small part in the movie, you actually forget she starred in this dud. This is yet another movie I've wasted my time seeing, and won't see again. A huge disappointment.

Johnson Family Vacation is an unusual type of movie..the humor-free comedy. No kidding. The movie is just almost completely devoid of anything funny. Cedric has been funny in other contexts but in this film he is unbelievably bland and restrained. Vanessa Williams is good looking and may even be a good actress but she has the comic skills and timing of a brick.
There are some scenes in the film that could possibly have been funny with different actors, writers, and directors, but every attempt at humor in this movie falls flat on its ass. There is no chemistry whatsoever between Williams and Cedric and when Vanessa is trying to act seductively toward Cedric it is just cringe-inducing. Finally, there are so many scenes and ideas ripped off from other movies, especially National Lampoon's Vacation (with Chevy Chase) that it is embarrassing and reminds you how good that movie was and how utterly, deadly dull and stillborn this one is. It got two stars from me instead of the minimum because my kids liked it when Bow Wow rapped. Otherwise the whole thing just stunk. Avoid it.

Wow the crap hollywood throws at The world is incredible and insulting , This film shouldnt even be in existance, Not One funny part I Didnt laught not one time,Crappy reused jokes and plots, THis is the same old crap you've seen hundreds of times,It gets to the point when i ask myself are they even trying, do they make films so bad purposely?? People Take my advice stay away and you might save yourself from this horrible movie(well this doesnt deserve the word movie it suits better when called Cow Crap

To be blunt and quite honest, this movie (does it even deserve the title of movie?) wasn't very impressive. I'll keep it short and sweet. Johnson Family Vacation was not funny. Johnson Family Vacation did not entertain. In fact, all that Johnson Family Vacation did, was waste an hour and a half of my life. Horrible acting, check. Horrible cast (Lil Bow Wow?), check. A single star review, check.