Denis la malice

I feel really badly that this movie is on the list of worst according to average vote. If you consider that it relies very much on slap-stick humour, which does not appeal to everyone, that might explain its poor showing.

The movie is best compared to "Home Alone." I feel it is by far the better of the two movies. Dennis is wide-eyed and innocent and the slap-stick scenarios are 'accidental' rather than contrived as in "Home Alone."

This is a movie that elderly parents can watch and be guaranteed to have a good time. It is also a movie that kids will love. If those in between can't appreciate it, that speaks a lot for their loss of innocence.

For me, this cinema version featuring the innocent mischief of cartoonist Hank Ketcham's precocious hyperactive preschooler, Dennis (The Menace) Mitchell, is a classic sleeper. Remarkable performances by Mason Gamble (as "Dennis Mitchell") and Walter Matthau (as "Mr. Wilson") help to mold the screenplay into a delightful light-hearted comedy intended for the whole family. I, personally, look forward to the day that its presentation is offered in DVD format.

This film had a very good point : it stands on something solid, like the old TV serie and the comic strip. Some similar films don't have this, like these awful Home Alone movies.The film can also count on the talent of Mr. Matthau. He's ideal for playing Mr. Wilson. And the kid is very alright. Another good point is that the film do not have a great success and it provides us from those ugly sequels. Sometimes a bit violent, but in a comic strip way. Good fun!

Nick Castle's directing is amazing. The timing, the perfect camera angles, the rapport between the cast, and much more, are just remarkable. This little boy, Mason Gamble (who won the Young Artist Award for Best Youth Actor Leading Role in a Motion Picture Comedy in this film) is amazing at such a young age. This movie brings the comic strip alive MUCH better than the old TV show ever did. Jerry Goldsmith's music is perfect, Walter Matthau perfectly portrays the grumpy old Mr. Wilson in a way he couldn't even achieve in Grumpy Old Men. In fact, I have no problem proclaiming he has never been funnier. Christopher Lloyd is pure genius as an evil thief. I won't spoil it at all, but trust me when I say that Dennis the Menace manages make life miserable for Mr. Wilson and others, and comes out squeaky clean, as a child hero like him must. WATCH IT, BE IN A GOOD MOOD, AND YOU WILL LLOOVVEE IT! (Of course, if you naturally just don't like one of the actors in the movie or come with some other sort of bias, I can't help you.)

This movie is without a doubt identical to the comic strip. The characters look exactly alike, especially Dennis's parents. And I don't think anyone could have played a better Mr. Wilson than Walter Mattau. This is what makes the movie so good. Another familiar actor is Christopher Lloyd (from the "Back to the Future" trilogy and "The Pagemaster) who plays the robber. I remember when I rented this at my local grocery store, I saw the scene where the robber kidnaps Dennis and ties him up. Then Dennis tells him the only right way to tie him up so that he won't be able to get away. The robber has handcuffs and the key falls into the beans he's cooking. Dennis is forced to feed the robber beans in order to find the key. After this the robber farts in the fire. This scene was cut when shown on TNT. Watch this movie and see for yourself how wonderful it is.