O Pestinha

"Problem Child", according to many, is a horrible film in most every way. The film is apparently not good for kids to watch because of all the evil and nasty things Junior does and it has a metascore of 27 and an IMDB score of 5.3....both of which are pretty bad. Despite all this, I somehow like the film...which would make many of my friends and family doubt my sanity. Call it a guilty pleasure!

The story is about a boy who is thoroughly rotten and spends most of the film tormenting those around him...even after he's adopted from the orphanage by a nice but incredibly naive man (John Ritter). Afterwards, the new dad ends up spending most of the movie apologizing to everyone for the atrocities the kid committed.

For me, I loved watching most of the vile and awful things Junior did...which is NOT typical, I know. The problem I had with the film was the ending. While Junior was like Charles Manson Jr. throughout the story, the schmaltzy ending simply didn't ring true in the least. You would think Junior would love traveling the country committing acts of terror with his pen pal, an escaped maniac from prison! For this reason, I give the film a 6...and had the ending been better I would have scored it higher. I know, I know....I should be ashamed of myself for liking this mostly heartless story...but I am not.

WELL, this movie is pretty corny. The characters are weird, a little overly dramatic, and strange! When I was a kid, I watched this movie and laughed with it. Now that I am much older, I watch it and laugh AT it. The pranks Junior plays are funny, but otherwise this movie is just plain weird! Same goes for the sequel--very predictable, corny jokes and sappy ending (except the sequel's end was better.) Regardless, this is kind of a decent movie and is still enjoyable. HOWEVER, don't expect a lot of adventure and excitement!

I have noticed this movie being offered on video and cable TV for years now, but have only now gotten around to seeing it. And you know what? I actually liked it!!

I thought it was well-crafted from a movie-making standpoint: it moved at a rapid pace, never bogged down, it had excellent cinematography, vibrant use of colors, somewhat multi-layered plot, good background music, etc. So, yes, from a movie *craft* standpoint, I felt it was indeed a good film.

I thought everyone acted their parts exactly as I would have expected - everyone was either slightly (or extremely) over the top, with the Problem Child himself being so extreme he was almost cartoonish. And really, everything in this movie was meant to be an exaggeration anyway. Examples: I liked the way Mrs. Healy was constantly equating having a kid as being little more than a sort of magic ticket to a higher social status in the local neighborhood. I really liked Gilbert Gottfried's character, demurely informing the hapless parents (John Ritter and Amy Yasbeck) that Junior had been returned 30 times before THEY got ahold of him. And I liked Michael Richards, as the Bow Tie Killer (hadn't been with a woman in 15 years!), puttin' the move on the frustrated Mrs. Healy, and she was all over him!. (By the way, forget the kid - Amy Yasbeck was reason enough to see this movie (loved her hair!). I'd see it again just to drool over her!!)

Anyway, I think you have to approach the movie for what it is: a spoof and a lampoon of sorts. In that light, I found that it came across as a very clever, slightly (and slyly) cynical, spoof on parenting and child-raising.

So what's the big deal? It WAS a good movie, pretty funny too. Let's all let our hair down for a change, get in touch with our inner naughty eight-year-old, and maybe have some fun with this kind of silly humor once in awhile. (And boy, if you ever adopt a child, make sure the kid comes with a 30-day money back return policy!:)

many people complain that junior gets away with everything and it is not right. if these kinds of things were going on by a real kid in real life, then there would be a problem. i have only four words for those of you who claim it should not be watched due to the example it sets for children. IT IS A MOVIE, not to mention a COMEDY, which are usually not to be taken seriously. if every movie that set a bad example for children was pulled off the shelves, we would have lost many incredible movies. i saw this movie when i was a child, and no i did not go try to do any of the things that junior did. although i was a child, i knew there would be serious consequences for acting as junior did. this is a very entertaining movie which i enjoyed very much. for those of you who who trash talk this movie because "it could be a bad example for children" you might want to get in touch with reality because there is nothing wrong with this movie.

The 90s were certainly cluttered with those "'fill in the blank' from Hell" movies. (The Best Friend from Hell ("Single White Female"), the Temp Employee from Hell ("The Temp"), etc.) Here at the beginning of the decade, we got this "kid from Hell" flick from the writers of "Ed Wood", and it is indeed like a comic spin on "The Bad Seed". Michael Oliver (what ever happened to him?) plays "Junior", a thoroughly obnoxious devil-child who often makes life miserable for people, including his new adoptive parents, Ben (John Ritter) and Flo (Amy Yasbeck). Yet underneath that ultra-bratty exterior does lurk a kid who's crying out for love and attention.

In that sense, this viewer wonders how it would have played if Junior were *completely* unrepentant and never revealed any inkling towards sensitivity or vulnerability. Not all children in real life are perfect little angels, after all. It might have been refreshing, but this being a Hollywood movie, we have to have that glimmer of hope and, ultimately, that happy ending.

Undeniably, "Problem Child" can be crude and childish, but it's still fitfully amusing what with its outrageous gags. In one twisted touch, Junior thinks psycho-killer / sleaze ball Martin Beck (a scenery devouring Michael "Kramer" Richards) is a cool guy to emulate, and becomes pen pals with him.

Basically, if one can tolerate the variety of disagreeable characters here, they may get through the movie. Ben is a typical Nice Guy who tries his mightiest to be patient, but he's also kind of a dope. It takes a lot before he snaps. Flo is a superficial wannabe social climber. Ben's dad (Jack Warden) is a crass jerk (and sporting goods magnate) running for mayor. There are snooty kids who raise Juniors' ire. And, of course, we have Gilbert Gottfried on hand for good measure.

Some of the more entertaining gags occur at the birthday party; overall, "Problem Child" does have its moments. The closing theme song was performed by the Beach Boys, of all people.

Followed by two sequels, the second made for TV.

Six out of 10.