F

John Hughes should really sue. “The Johnson Family Vacation” is not only a blatant ripoff of “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” it’s a lousy one besides. And it doesn’t even bother to acknowledge the obvious debt.

Cedric the Entertainer, who was uproarious in “The Original Kings of Comedy” and the two “Barbershop” movies, flails about badly in the Chevy Chase role as Nate Johnson, the dad who drives his brood halfway across the country, facing a slew of comedic obstacles along the way. He’s joined by his estranged but affectionate wife Dorothy (Vanessa Williams) and their three kids: sultry teen Mikki (Solange Knowles), would-be rapper son DJ (Bow Wow, dropping the “’Lil” from his professional moniker), and sweet little Destiny (Gabby Soleil). Among the episodes they (and we) endure are a “Duel”-like encounter with a trucker (the punch line of which, coming at the end of the picture, is about as lame and illogical as one could imagine); a stopover at an Indian casino (which has no payoff at all, simply ending inconclusively); an encounter with Chrishelle (Shannon Elizabeth), a sultry hitch-hiker with odd beliefs and an off-putting pet; and a dustup with a highway patrolman (Godfrey Danchimah). The destination isn’t an amusement park (more’s the pity), but a family reunion in Missouri, where Nate intends to persuade his demanding Momma of his right choice of a wife and defeat his competitive brother Max (Steve Harvey) in a battle for a “best family” award (a contest that allows for some tepid musical numbers) Also involved in the final reel is Nate’s chunky uncle Earl (also played, in really cheesy split-screen style, by Cedric), a lazy, lady’s-man auto mechanic called upon to fix Nate’s car. The fellow is obviously supposed to give the star an opportunity to do “Barbership”-like shtick, but all his scenes seem like junky improvisations, so the level of amusement they provide is really less than nil. (Imogene Coca was far, far funnier as Aunt Edna in the original “Vacation”–even her death was hilarious.)

That can be said, however, of virtually everything in the movie. Despite the energy that Cedric devotes to scene after scene (indeed, he overdoes it almost constantly, looking rather desperate in the process), the writing by Todd R. Jones and Earl Richey Jones gives him virtually nothing to work with. Similarly, Christopher Erskin’s slipshod, undisciplined direction fails to offer even a rudimentary framework for the gags; an extended sequence at a motel with a hot tub, for example, is appallingly mishandled. None of the other cast members fare well, either. Harvey comes off best as Nate’s trophy-crazed brother, but Elizabeth is as irritating as fingers scraping a blackboard, Bow Wow shows energy but little more, and Williams and Knowles evince nothing but attitude. The picture is as crude technically as it is narratively, which somehow seems appropriate. The animated opening credits are curiously right, too; they’re chintzy and flat.

Of course, as was true of the Griswolds in the original “Vacation,” the Johnsons enjoy a successful conclusion to their trip despite the miseries they suffer along the way. A pity the same can’t be said of viewers unlucky enough to tag along with them. Stay home and be happy.