The Great Outdoors
Performance & Direction: The Great Outdoors Review
Last updated: January 21, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is The Great Outdoors (1988) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a HIT with a verified audience rating of 6.5/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Comedy.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Comedy is often anchored by its ensemble, and The Great Outdoors features a noteworthy lineup led by Dan Aykroyd . Supported by the likes of John Candy and Stephanie Faracy , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
In summary, our editorial assessment of The Great Outdoors (1988) is mixed. With an audience rating of 6.5/10, it stands as a highly recommended experience for genre enthusiasts.
Story & Plot Summary: The Great Outdoors
Quick Plot Summary: The Great Outdoors is a Comedy film that brings laughter through sharp writing and comedic timing, providing amusement while touching on deeper societal themes. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Story Breakdown
The comedic structure relies on both situational humor and character-based comedy. It's vacation time for outdoorsy Chicago man Chet Ripley, along with his wife, Connie, and their two kids, Buck and Ben. But a serene weekend of fishing at a Wisconsin lakeside cabin gets crashed by Connie's obnoxious brother-in-law, Roman Craig, his wife, Kate, and the couple's two daughters. As the excursion wears on, the Ripleys find themselves at odds with the stuffy Craig family. The film finds humor in relatable situations while maintaining narrative momentum. The jokes serve the story, with callbacks and running gags that reward attentive viewers.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: The opening establishes the comedic tone and introduces the central conflict through humor and character quirks.
- Character Arc: The main character shows growth throughout the story, though some supporting characters could have been more fully realized. The arc is present but occasionally predictable.
- Climax & Resolution: The comedic climax ties together recurring jokes and character arcs, delivering both laughs and emotional satisfaction.
Ending Explained: The Great Outdoors
Ending Breakdown: The Great Outdoors concludes its story with a mix of closure and open interpretation. The finale presents its approach to comedy resolution.
The conclusion addresses the core thematic questions, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes by addressing its primary narrative threads, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Character journeys reach their narrative endpoints, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the comedy themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of The Great Outdoors reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch The Great Outdoors?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Comedy films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of the cast or director
- Want some laughs and light entertainment
Box Office Collection: The Great Outdoors
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $24.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $43.5M |
| Trade Verdict | CLEAN HIT |
The Great Outdoors Budget
The estimated production budget for The Great Outdoors is $24.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: The Great Outdoors
All Cast & Crew →
Where to Watch The Great Outdoors Online?
Streaming Hub🎟️ Rent on
Amazon Video🏷️ Buy on
Google Play Movies
YouTubeThe Great Outdoors Parents Guide & Age Rating
1988 AdvisoryWondering about The Great Outdoors age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of The Great Outdoors is 91 minutes (1h 31m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Final Verdict
Analyzing the audience sentiment, IMDb rating of 6.5/10, and global collection metrics, The Great Outdoors stands as a successful venture for the creators. It remains an essential piece of the 1988 cinematic year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Great Outdoors worth watching?
The Great Outdoors is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Comedy movies. It has a verified rating of 6.5/10 and stands as a HIT in our box office analysis.
Where can I find The Great Outdoors parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for The Great Outdoors identifies it as PG. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of The Great Outdoors?
The total duration of The Great Outdoors is 91 minutes, which is approximately 1h 31m long.
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Critic Reviews for The Great Outdoors
Decent watch at best, probably won't watch again, but can recommend for those on a late-eighties nostalgia kick. Sometimes it is good to get in "The Way Back Machine" and see some of the movies that made people famous, and I liked Dan Aykroyd and John Candy. The duplicitous plot and character choices just didn't sit great with me. Having recently seen "Brother Nature", it is interesting to see a movie that could have inspired it. I think it would have been a lot better with John Candy as an overwhelmingly positive buzzkill and Aykroyd playing a family man. But Candy is sort of the family man of the late 1980s, and Aykroyd is the quintessential New York scumbag, and they do it well. I'd ultimately say it is worth the watch, but there are probably a dozen "back to nature" movies I could recommend in front of this one.
"The Great Outdoors" is only a moderately entertaining film, although it does feature the unforgettably spectacular sight of John Candy water skiing. The grizzly bear action also works well and there is always an enthusiastic energy about this film which every member of the cast effortlessly maintains, but in terms of John Hughes's output this entry is not one of his more memorable outings and some of it does feel like miscellaneous bottom drawer material that has so far gone unused until now. He has done a reasonable job of using such material - if this indeed happens to be the case - as the basis for a mildly amusing film which is as watchable as it is because of Dan Aykroyd and John Candy. They are the ones who keep you watching even though you know everyone involved in front and behind the cameras has done so much better work elsewhere.
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.
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