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Dennis the Menace

Play trailer Poster for Dennis the Menace PG 1993 1h 36m Kids & Family Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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28% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 39% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Mischievous Dennis Mitchell (Mason Gamble) makes the life of neighbor George Wilson (Walter Matthau) miserable with his overactive energy and inadvertent troublemaking. Because his parents must leave town for work and can't find a baby sitter for Dennis, they ask George and his wife, Martha (Joan Plowright), to take care of him. But when burglar Switchblade Sam (Christopher Lloyd) breaks in to steal George's gold coin collection, he takes Dennis as a hostage, and crusty George must save the boy.
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Dennis the Menace

Dennis the Menace

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Critics Consensus

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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Critics Reviews

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Patricia Bibby Associated Press 06/12/2018
What saves this movie from insipidness is an endearing performance by Walter Matthau as the cantankerous Mr. Wilson. Go to Full Review Ty Burr Entertainment Weekly 07/07/2010
D
Its unholy mixture of peppy sadism and pious, self-righteous sentiment comes straight from Hughes' crabbed cinematic heart. Go to Full Review Todd McCarthy Variety 07/22/2008
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. Go to Full Review Common Sense Media Editors Common Sense Media 08/14/2019
2/5
Comic strip-based comedy has peril, scary villain. Go to Full Review Malcolm Johnson Hartford Courant 04/09/2018
A kid's picture that can delight crabby adults, too. Go to Full Review Quentin Curtis Independent on Sunday 12/07/2017
As Dennis, the charmless Mason is a Gamble that hasn't paid off. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Kirstie W @KLoves Dec 15 Great movie love it so cute and funny See more KING P. @KING_PALM Dec 5 I grew up loving this movie for everything it was. Now I only love it for the nostalgia. I’ll likely watch this again though. See more Jordan G Nov 28 Fun show, great acting, especially by first time unknown Child actor. I honestly don’t know what these Critics and audience members were Expecting. See more Carlos I Nov 12 It's a decidedly silly kids movie, offering plenty of slapstick humor. While it succeeds in effectively capturing the playful, chaotic tone of the classic comic strip and animated source material, it also mimics Home Alone a little too closely in its third act, featuring a climactic, booby-trap-laden showdown that feels somewhat derivative, yet ultimately provides a satisfying, family-friendly conclusion. See more SS @Schteve Oct 11 Even as an adult I still find this movie absolutely hilarious. When I watched it as a kid, I remember my dad laughing so hard at the final scene that he was crying. It definitely holds up and is worth a watch. See more Daniel F Oct 5 Great family comedy. Very funny. Has a Home Alone/John Hughes flavor to it that I love. See more Read all reviews
Dennis the Menace

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Cast & Crew

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Nick Castle

Director

Walter Matthau

Mr. George Wilson

Mason Gamble

Dennis Mitchell

Joan Plowright

Mrs. Martha Wilson

Christopher Lloyd

Switchblade Sam (Town Robber)

Lea Thompson

Mrs. Alice Mitchell

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Dennis the Menace

Dennis the Menace (1993) Dennis the Menace (1993) Dennis the Menace (1993) Dennis the Menace (1993) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Mischievous Dennis Mitchell (Mason Gamble) makes the life of neighbor George Wilson (Walter Matthau) miserable with his overactive energy and inadvertent troublemaking. Because his parents must leave town for work and can't find a baby sitter for Dennis, they ask George and his wife, Martha (Joan Plowright), to take care of him. But when burglar Switchblade Sam (Christopher Lloyd) breaks in to steal George's gold coin collection, he takes Dennis as a hostage, and crusty George must save the boy.
Director
Nick Castle
Producer
Ernest Chambers, John Hughes, Richard Vane
Screenwriter
Hank Ketcham, John Hughes
Distributor
Argentina Video Home, Warner Bros.
Production Co
Warner Brothers
Rating
PG
Genre
Kids & Family, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 24, 1993, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 25, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$50.2M
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
Surround
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