Dennis the Menace

He's armed... He's adorable... And he's out of school for the entire summer.

1993 • 96 min • Family · Comedy

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Synopsis

Mr. Wilson's ever-present annoyance comes in the form of one mischievous kid named Dennis. But he'll need Dennis's tricks to uncover a collection of gold coins that go missing when a shady drifter named Switchblade Sam comes to town.

Our family guide

Best from age 6

Movie Knight Score

1624 reviews

0 Reviewers · 1 · 51%
59 Audience · 1623 · 49%

Dennis, a mischievous boy, constantly annoys his neighbor Mr. Wilson. When a shady drifter named Switchblade Sam comes to town and steals valuables, Dennis’s antics surprisingly help recover them, leading to an unexpected adventure.

Violence & peril: 2/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 1/10
Romance & sensuality: 0/10
Scary moments: 3/10

Heads up

A child is briefly kidnapped by a drifter.
Some slapstick humor involving minor falls and bumps.
The villain is a bit menacing in appearance and actions.

What it models well

Problem-solving and resourcefulness
Unlikely friendships
Community and helping others

Talk about it after

The difference between mischievous fun and truly harmful actions.
How even seemingly annoying people can have valuable qualities.
The importance of being cautious around strangers.

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Dennis the Menace. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

Country

Free

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Free with ads

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Top billed cast

Director: Nick Castle • Crew: John Hughes

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

Not recommendedTrusted family reviewers
Bad watch, unlikely to watch again, and can't recommend unless you're just dying to see a poor version of "Home Alone" in reverse. I've probably seen this before, but I can't remember it, and I used to read "Dennis the Menace" in the funny papers, can't say I was even that big a fan then. And maybe I'm too much of a grumpy old man myself at this point, but this little brat is borderline evil in his stupid behavior.…
Kamurai, TMDB Community