Denis la malice

I remember this cartoon from the 1980s, when I was just entering high school. I sat down and watched it every day before starting my homework.

However, there's something about this show that I think needs to be pointed out here. That has to do with Mr. Wilson and his relationship with Dennis.

Yeah, yeah, I know it's just a cartoon series, and that one of the major components of the "Dennis the Menace" storyline is the relationship between Dennis and his neighbor, Mr. Wilson.

However, I've found Mr. Wilson's whole attitude toward Dennis very unnerving, as I'm sure many people would agree. Simply put, Mr. Wilson yells at Dennis because he's trying to be a kid.

Dennis is just that, a simple, red-blooded American boy. He's inquisitive and (of course) mischievous, and his well-meaning attempts backfire on others -- usually, with Mr. Wilson on the worst end. But what young boy hasn't been that?

Mr. Wilson's response? He yells at him and tells Dennis to go away. Mr. Wilson constantly tells his wife, Martha, about how he looks forward to peace and quiet and must always add that he's glad Dennis won't be around (usually, just seconds before Dennis shows up).

I agree that Mr. Wilson's boorish demeanor is much less severe here than in the 1993 theatrical release (which contains a segment where Mr. Wilson basically tells Dennis to go to hell). There are even animated shorts in this series where Mr. Wilson sticks up for Dennis.

Maybe I'm missing the whole point of this show, but it seems to me that Dennis worships Mr. Wilson and wants to be a friend to him. All Mr. Wilson does is throw that offer back in his face and tells Dennis to go away.

If Mr. Wilson were any sort of man, he would sit down with Dennis, tell him I would love to be your friend but you have to allow me some time for some peace and quiet, and then informally spell out a few guidelines to follow. I'm sure Dennis would agree to Mr. Wilson's wishes if he did it right.

As for the cartoon itself, it really hasn't held up with me. It's more in the execution than in the general idea, which remains good. Sure, the stories are family-friendly (except for what I described above), that they're geared toward a younger audience and everything works out well in the end. But older viewers (i.e., parents, grandparents and college students who don't play drinking games with whatever TV show) might think the stories are too simple and think the animation is somewhat below par.

Still, the 1980s version of "Dennis the Menace" is enjoyable for many viewers, and that in itself merits a recommendation.

The animated television series of Dennis the Menace was very good. I'd watch it whenever I could when it was on in the 1980s. The animation was very good and clear. The voices were good for the characters and the characters were also very good and funny. The late great comedian Phil Hartman was a good pick and he was funny! The music was good and fit the cartoon. The stories in the cartoons were good. It was interesting and fun to watch. If you are able to watch this on television or on tape do so because this was one of the great animated shows of the 1980s in My opinion! I recommend it!

Movie Nuttball's NOTE:

If you like Dennis the Menace then check out the 1993 feature film starring Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Walter Matthau, Joan Plowright, Mason Gamble, Arnold Stang, and Paul Winfield! The musical score is composed greatly by Jerry Goldsmith! I strongly recommend the film!

One morning back in 1987, while I was home on leave (I was in the Navy stationed overseas and I was back stateside for some leave), I was up early one morning armed with the TV Guide and I saw "Dennis the Menace" listed.

Thinking it was the old TV series from the 1950s that I grew up watching, I decided to check it out, only to discover that it was a new cartoon series.

What I thought would be a disappointment turned out to be a pleasant surprise! The series was actually more true to Hank Ketcham's great comic strip than the old black & white series. Actually, the old black & white series was not true to the comic strip because the PTA, which was a pretty powerful force to deal with, managed to reduce "Dennis the Menace" to more of a "Dennis the good boy whose good intentions somehow went haywire".

The artwork of the cartoon series was true to Hank Ketcham's style. And the animation was very good, which was unusual for a TV cartoon of the time.

Being a cartoon, the writers had a lot more leeway and were free to allow Dennis to be as much of a menace as he was originally intended to be.

This series is not only entertaining for children of all ages, but is also entertaining for the child that still lurks in every grown up as well.

"Dennis the Menace" was, and is still one of my favorite cartoons that I watched growing up. I loved it how Dennis would always torment Mr. Wilson. Of course, Dennis had NO idea that he was giving Mr. Wilson such a hard time. The episodes where Dennis would always end up going on an adventure with one or a few of his friends were the coolest!!! This show also had some great vocal talent such as the late great Phil Hartman (I miss him!!!), and Maurice LaMarche to name a few.

If you ever see this show in the near future, and have never watched it, then check it out, you WON'T be disappointed. 10/10

I'm not a fan of children. I don't have any, nor do I want them. I do love babies though, but I always remind myself they don't stay like that forever. Once they start walking and talking, you're doomed. Therefore, any show or movie that tries to make humor out of kids being difficult is not funny to me. And there's no better example of a difficult child than Dennis Mitchell (aka Dennis the Menace) - a mischievous, hyperactive, albeit kindhearted 10-year-old boy. Okay, maybe difficult is a strong word, but he's a handful. He was first introduced to America in 1959 as a television character. It followed his daily life, which consisted of causing trouble and irritating his neighbor, Mr. Wilson. It was adapted into a film twice, in 1993 and 1998 (the former is my favorite). In between the original series and movies, was the creation of this cartoon. The advertisement poster makes it look like a cute show, but appearances can be deceiving. It's not a complete failure, but Dennis's shenanigans, and the compromising situations that he inadvertently causes the people around him to experience, gets so annoying to the point that it stops being funny. He does play with other kids, but he's always involving himself in adults' affairs. He's a busybody. I can never watch more than two episodes before it kind of starts to get on my nerves. The events in each storyline are stupid, even for a cartoon. Also, this was made during the 80s, but the characters' outfits and hairstyles look like the 1960s, so I thought that was odd. I feel like the B&W TV show was enough. Or at least, do one movie and stop there. A cartoon was not needed. Hollywood just loves profiting off of franchises. I wouldn't let a child watch this, because it's too mindless. You would be better off showing your kids the original Dennis the Menace.