Problem Child 1990

Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune: 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. Read more

Michael Wilmington, Los Angeles Times: 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. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: Some kids are born bad. Others achieve badness. And some have badness thrust upon them. The same can be said of movies. Read more

Caryn James, New York Times: As directed by the actor Dennis Dugan, everyone seems to be yelling their lines and making huge hand gestures instead of acting. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: 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. Read more

Suzi Feay, Time Out: Enough to make you gag. Read more

Variety Staff, Variety: 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. Read more

Hal Hinson, Washington Post: Dugan has a brisk, imaginative comic style; he sets up his gags well, so that there's still some surprise in the punch lines when they come. Read more