Problem Child

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Problem Child

PG,

1990,

1h 21m,

Comedy

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Watchlist

3%

31 Reviews

Tomatometer

42%

50,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

3%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

42%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Ben is a good-hearted guy who's always wanted a son of his own, but so far he and his wife have had no success. The couple adopt Junior, a redheaded hellion who quickly makes their lives miserable. Disaster follows Junior wherever he goes, from camping trips that require emergency-room visits to birthday parties that turn into Grand Guignol affairs. When Ben's incensed family tells him to get rid of the boy, he starts to wonder if they might be right.

Critics Consensus

Mean-spirited and hopelessly short on comic invention, Problem Child is a particularly unpleasant comedy, one that's loaded with manic scenery chewing and juvenile pranks.

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Michael Wilmington

Los Angeles Times

Jul 14, 2014

Sound funny? The filmmakers here think so. They've jacked this loud, lame shrieker of a movie up to the highest decibels, both aural and visual, and rammed it in our faces with almost numbing aplomb.

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

May 21, 2013

2/4

Some kids are born bad. Others achieve badness. And some have badness thrust upon them. The same can be said of movies.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

May 21, 2013

2/4

Inside Dennis Dugan's uncertainly staged, awkwardly sentimental Problem Child is another movie fighting to get out-one that's much meaner and probably more interesting.

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Jack E. Wilkinson

United Press International

Jun 12, 2026

Hopeful but soon hopeless Sledgehammer comedy that can be quite funny.

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Nov 30, 2022

Problem Child takes the theme of the mischievous child to an alarming, and sociopathic limit. [Full review in Spanish]

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Joaquin de Luna

El Pais (Spain)

Mar 27, 2019

Terrible. [Full review in Spanish]

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Han S

Apr 4, 2019

the second movie is way better.. actually, Clifford with Martin Short is way better, and with life lessons?

Harry G

Sep 3, 2018

Funny underrated film.

Anakin W

Jul 7, 2018

This is the non-horror version of "The Omen". Now that's bad.

Kylo R

Sep 12, 2017

I must of seen this movie hundreds of time's growing up. I'm well aware that the movie isn't good by any means. But for what the movie is I enjoyed it, had a lot of laughs. It's one of those guilty pleasure movie's.

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Harry P

Jun 1, 2017

But it was a goddamn good film

Theodore P

Mar 11, 2017

Has some redeeming and funny moments.

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Dennis Dugan

Director

John Ritter

Ben

Michael Oliver

Junior

Jack Warden

Big Ben

Gilbert Gottfried

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Amy Yasbeck

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Synopsis

Ben is a good-hearted guy who's always wanted a son of his own, but so far he and his wife have had no success. The couple adopt Junior, a redheaded hellion who quickly makes their lives miserable. Disaster follows Junior wherever he goes, from camping trips that require emergency-room visits to birthday parties that turn into Grand Guignol affairs. When Ben's incensed family tells him to get rid of the boy, he starts to wonder if they might be right.

Director: Dennis Dugan
Producer: Robert Simonds
Screenwriter: Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 11, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $53.5M
Runtime: 1h 21m
Sound Mix: Surround

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