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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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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Dennis King Tulsa World Jul 14, 2014 1/4

It's misguided. It's not funny. And in its lame efforts to be irreverent and hip, it turns out to be just plain mean.

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Sue Heal Radio Times Apr 30, 2014 1/5

There is something offensive about using an unloved and rebellious child as the butt of bad jokes in this way.

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Ralph Novak People Magazine Apr 30, 2014

The end is refreshingly less sentimental than it seems to be shaping up to be, but the film's ugly moments can't help but leave a bad taste.

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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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Candice Russell South Florida Sun-Sentinel May 21, 2013

Smart beginning, witless ending.

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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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Monty Smith Empire Magazine May 21, 2013 2/5

Pipsqueak comedy that does not have the courage of its own convictions.

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TV Guide Staff TV Guide May 21, 2013 0/5

It's too bad the editors of Problem Child couldn't have saved time and money by just putting the whole film through a shredder.

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Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Sep 7, 2011 D-

The rest of the kid's tricks are too unimaginative to be much fun -- though with jokes this lame you won't have to worry as much about your children getting any bad ideas.

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Renee Schonfeld Common Sense Media Nov 23, 2010 1/5

Antics of a diabolical child are neither valuable nor funny.

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Brian Orndorf BrianOrndorf.com Jul 29, 2010 F

The film gets so lost in angry pranks, it forgets to provide a reason why Junior shouldn't be hung from the nearest tree...The worst movie of all time? Problem Child.

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Variety Staff Variety Mar 26, 2009

Universal took a step in the right direction by whittling Problem Child down to just 81 minutes but didn't go far enough. The studio should have excised another 75 minutes and released this unbelievable mess as a short.

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Suzi Feay Time Out Feb 9, 2006

Enough to make you gag.

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Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Jul 18, 2005 2/5

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Audrey Rock-Richardson Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah) Jan 14, 2005 0/5

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Steve Crum Kansas City Kansan Oct 30, 2004 1/5

Grating, irritating, truly a problem movie calling itself a comedy.

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