Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

SnoopyStyle Mr. George Wilson (Walter Matthau) is a retired postman with loving wife Martha (Joan Plowright). He is tired of the irreverent boy living next door, Dennis the Menace. He is hosting the party for the Garden Society and desperate to show off his flower. Dennis has loving parents (Robert Stanton, Lea Thompson) who treat him with kid gloves. He hates being forced to spend time with Margaret Wade. It's an idyllic town life until the arrival of Switchblade Sam (Christopher Lloyd). Dennis' parents go away for work and the Wilson has the babysit the Menace.I love Walter Matthau and the kid is rambunctious. I like Dennis' family. I love Margaret and the other kids. Switchblade Sam makes no sense being in this movie universe. I think John Hughes is trying to recreate Home Alone. It's a big mistake. The movie is split in two. I find the parts without Switchblade Sam fun especially with Matthau. It's got a childlike innocent tone with a splash of modern irreverence and that's what so great about it. Switchblade Sam has no place in that world.

ravsten428 Dennis the Menace is a good film. I love how they show the film being set in the 50's. However you can see that not everything fits in to the decade setting such as the automobiles used in the film.Mr. Wilson the curmudgeonly next door neighbor of the Miller's can't seem too tolerate their young child named Dennis. Wilson sees Dennis as a pest always trying to cause trouble. At some point the Miller's have to both go on business trips forcing them to try and find a babysitter for Dennis. Unfortunately they can't find anybody willing to watch him because of his troublesome manner. Well who's left on the list other than the Wilson's.Understandably Mr. Wilson isn't thrilled at the prospect of looking after him but his lovely wife Martha does not mind at all and is delighted to look after Dennis. Mr. Wilson puts up with Dennis and his antics for awhile but after Mr. Wilson's house is robbed by Switchblade Sam and his debut of his plant that is about to bloom gets ruined when Dennis tells Mr. Wilson his house has been robbed and Mr. Wilson doesn't believe him at first and tells him that he never wants to see him again. Dennis rides away on his bike and gets captured by Sam but he of course saves the day later on and comes back home.The characters in Dennis the Menace are thought out well. However I would have to disagree that Switchblade Sam would look like a total creep and be a thief. This is of course silly as any normal looking person can do bad things. Of course it is a movie and I suppose that he does look very intimidating in the town of clean looking folks.Dennis the Menace may not be for everybody but I think that it stays true to the comic and it is an enjoyable laugh out loud film. This is a good movie and isn't over the top with slapstick and should have most people with a funny bone laughing out of their seat.

wes-connors "Hank Ketcham's popular comic-strip kid comes to the big screen in 'Dennis the Menace', a delightful family comedy from writer/producer John Hughes, the creative force behind several of the most popular movies ever," according to the original Time/Warner synopsis scribers, "Young Mason Gamble (who won the title role over 20,000 hopefuls) is all-boy, all-menace, all-Dennis, right down to his slingshot and dog Ruff. As Dennis' long-suffering neighbor George Wilson, Walter Matthau is a marvel of lovable grumpiness. And Christopher Lloyd adds a new wrinkle to Dennis' neighborhood as a villain who learns he can't match wits with a certain 5-year-old dynamo. He may be a minor, but he's a major delight." When an adaptation of a classic property is as off base as this, it inevitably raises the question, "What were they thinking?" "Home Alone" (1990), probably. Mr. Hughes, and a few other crew members, worked on both films. The plot isn't the same, exactly, but the resemblances are there. And, they are uncomfortable additions to "Dennis the Menace" of the comic strip and TV series starring Jay North. As the mischievous kid with the cowlick, Mr. North was perfect in the role. Nobody told young Gamble how to wear the hair (not that it would have mattered), Mr. Matthau is almost as unconvincing, and they have no rapport. Violent, grungy and farting in the wind, Mr. Lloyd (as "Switchblade" Sam) is especially unwelcome. While only minor players, Robert Stanton and Lea Thompson capture their characters convincingly.*** Dennis the Menace (6/24/93) Nick Castle ~ Mason Gamble, Walter Matthau, Christopher Lloyd, Joan Plowright

TheLittleSongbird This is far from a perfect family comedy, but I consider it one of the most underrated ones. Amy Sakasitz as Margaret Wade is rather annoying and the usually excellent Christopher Lloyd is sadly over-the-top and distracting as Switchblade Sam complete with a subplot that was a little too violent and doesn't fit with the overall tone of the movie. However, Dennis the Menace despite what its reputation and rating suggests is actually very entertaining and does a pretty good job with the transition from comic to movie. It has been criticised for taking too much ideas from the Home Alone movies and I suppose that's true with the sight gags, but I personally think the sight gags are funny. The cinematography is good, the soundtrack is fun, the story while predictable is well structured and interesting, the pacing is brisk and the direction is efficient. And the acting with exception of Lloyd is not bad at all. Mason Gamble thankfully isn't the annoying brat I was expecting prior to seeing this film, instead he is cute and funny as the mischievous yet well-meaning Dennis, while Walter Matthau from the facial expressions to the delivery of the dialogue is brilliant as Mr Wilson. Joan Plowright is also very touching and Lea Thompson and Robert Stanton also do well as Dennis's parents. In conclusion, it is a decent and entertaining film. 8/10 Bethany Cox