Christmas Vacation: Still Holds Up, But Does It Beat the OG Lampoon?

Alright, alright, settle down everyone. Moviebuff_marc here, ready to wade into the Christmas movie fray. I just re-watched "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (for like, the millionth time) and yeah, it still cracks me up. Chevy Chase in his prime, the exploding tree, Aunt Bethany's Jell-O... classic stuff. Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie? Forget about it! Every time he empties the RV waste into the storm drain I lose it. It's a staple for a reason, right? But here's what I'm pondering: Does it really stand up to the original "Animal House"? I mean, that movie was lightning in a bottle. "Christmas Vacation" is funny, don't get me wrong, but it's also...predictable? You know Clark's gonna screw everything up. You kind of expect the squirrel in the tree. Still, some of the physical gags are brilliant: the sledding scene is pure gold. And the whole Christmas lights thing? Relatable AF, am I right? I gotta admit, I do love the ending with Clark going all in and fighting for his family bonuses. It's got heart, something the earlier Lampoon flicks sometimes lacked. It's a feel-good movie, through and through, even with all the chaos. And D'Onofrio as the swat guy? Genius casting. I give it a solid 7.5/10. Good for a laugh, but not quite as groundbreaking as the OG Lampoon stuff. What do you all think? Am I being too harsh?