Do you want to see ‘Dennis the Menace’?

Dennis the Menace (1993)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 3.9/10
Reviews Counted: 22
Fresh: 5 | Rotten: 17

Walter Matthau does a nice job as Mr. Wilson, but Dennis the Menace follows the Home Alone formula far too closely.

Average Rating: 4.9/10
Critic Reviews: 7
Fresh: 2 | Rotten: 5

Walter Matthau does a nice job as Mr. Wilson, but Dennis the Menace follows the Home Alone formula far too closely.

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Average Rating: 2.7/5
User Ratings: 239,519

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Movie Info

John Hughes continues the trend he began with the Home Alone series in Dennis the Menace, the Hughes-scripted film version of Hank Ketcham's long-running comic strip, cartoon show, and television comedy. The film opens as Dennis (Mason Gamble) is seen careening down a sidewalk in a beautiful and idealistic suburban town on his training-wheeled bike -- cans on string clattering behind him, baseball cards flapping in the spokes of the wheel, his red wagon filled to the brim and his dog following

PG, 1 hr. 38 min.

Comedy, Kids & Family

Directed By: Nick Castle

Written By: Hank Ketcham, John Hughes

In Theaters: Jun 25, 1993 Wide

On DVD: Jan 28, 2003

Warner Home Video

Dennis the Menace Trailer & Photos

Cast

Walter Matthau
Mr. Wilson
Mason Gamble
Dennis Mitchell
Joan Plowright
Mrs. Martha Wilson
Christopher Lloyd
Switchblade Sam
Lea Thompson
Alice Mitchell
Robert Stanton
Henry Mitchell
Paul Winfield
Chief of Police
Amy Sakasitz
Margaret Wade
Kellen Hathaway
Joey
Billie Bird
Edith Butterwell
Daiana Campeanu
Babysitter
Bill Erwin
Edward Little
Melinda Mullins
Andrea
Devin Ratray
Mickey
Arnold Stang
Photographer
Ben Stein
Boss
Jane Jenkins
Janet Hirshenson
Natasha Lyonne
Polly
Hank Johnston
John Hughes

Critic Reviews for Dennis the Menace

All Critics (22) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (17) | DVD (2)

Its unholy mixture of peppy sadism and pious, self-righteous sentiment comes straight from Hughes' crabbed cinematic heart.

July 7, 2010 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly

| Comment

Ty Burr

Entertainment Weekly

Top Critic

Very young children may find the numskull, by-the-numbers gags here amusing, but teens will consider this kids' stuff and adults will be pained.

July 22, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

Todd McCarthy

Variety

Top Critic

Mr. Hughes and Mr. Castle try hard to re-create a kind of timeless, idealized comic-strip atmosphere, but except for the performances of Lea Thompson and Robert Stanton... nobody in the movie seems in touch with the nature of the comedy.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times

| Comment

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

Those good qualities are undermined, unfortunately, by the Switchblade Sam character, who is dirty, threatening and scary.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

Most children will get a kick out of it, although adults roped into accompanying their offspring may find themselves yearning to escape through the nearest exit.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: ReelViews

| Comment

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Top Critic

The comic has been condensed into a sweet-naturedly nutty motion picture with the buoyancy of a clutch of colored balloons.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post

| Comment

Rita Kempley

Washington Post

Top Critic

John Hughes' vision of Dennis is much more menacing than Ketcham's fans and parents of small children might reasonably expect.

April 26, 2007 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide

| Comment

TV Guide's Movie Guide

A smooth blend of sentiment and slapstick.

January 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Time Out

Someone ought to pay for this.

August 11, 2003 Comment

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Why, oh dear lord, why?!?

March 4, 2003 Comment

Alex Sandell

Juicy Cerebellum

How to turn an innocuous comic strip into an obnoxious movie.

July 25, 2002 Comment

Scott Weinberg

eFilmCritic.com

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Dennis the Menace

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A highly amusing kids film with a big Home Alone influence I'm sure. Walter Matthau was ideal for the role of Mr Wilson and the film as a whole is a fun watch

July 28, 2006

Lady D'arbanville

Super Reviewer

Dennis the Menace is a bad movie, but kids will love it and thats the important thing, that its target audience loves it, and to be honest its pretty funny.

August 18, 2011