Dennis the Menace (1993)
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: 5.2/10
Critic Reviews: 8
Fresh: 3 | 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
My Rating
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
Jun 25, 1993 Wide
Jan 28, 2003
Warner Home Video
Watch It Now
Cast
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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 -
-
-
Natasha Lyonne
Polly -
-
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All Critics (23) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (17) | DVD (2)
Its unholy mixture of peppy sadism and pious, self-righteous sentiment comes straight from Hughes' crabbed cinematic heart.
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.
A smooth blend of sentiment and slapstick.
Top CriticMr. 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.
Those good qualities are undermined, unfortunately, by the Switchblade Sam character, who is dirty, threatening and scary.
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.
John Hughes' vision of Dennis is much more menacing than Ketcham's fans and parents of small children might reasonably expect.
Someone ought to pay for this.
Why, oh dear lord, why?!?
How to turn an innocuous comic strip into an obnoxious movie.
Audience Reviews for Dennis the Menace
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Dennis Mitchell: Hey, Mr. Wilson!
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