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Problem Child

Problem Child

Comedy · 1990

Ben Healy and his social climbing wife Flo adopt fun-loving seven year old Junior. But they soon discover he's a little monster as he turns a camping trip, a birthday party and even a baseball game into comic nightmares.

Movie details

Problem Child

“Attila the Hun. Ivan the Terrible. Al Capone. They were all seven once.”

1990 Comedy 1h 21m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

Ben Healy and his social climbing wife Flo adopt fun-loving seven year old Junior. But they soon discover he's a little monster as he turns a camping trip, a birthday party and even a baseball game into comic nightmares.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Problem Child?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

The Three Stooges

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Horrible Bosses 2

Horrible Bosses 2

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Dale, Kurt and Nick decide to start their own business but things don't go as planned because of a slick investor, prompting the trio to pull off a harebrained and misguided kidnapping scheme.

Stuart Little

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When the Littles adopt Stuart, the mouse, George is initially unwelcoming to his new brother, and the family cat, Snowbell, is even less enthusiastic. Stuart resolves to face these difficulties with as much pluck and courage as he can muster.

Air Buddies

Air Buddies

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The offspring of sportsman canine Air Bud: B-Dawg, Mudbud, Budderball, Buddha, and Rosebud, uncover a kidnapping plot motivated by a little rich boy's desire to have the world's most athletic dog as a pet.

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Adventure · 1989

The scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them.

Father Hood

Father Hood

Action · 1993

Deadbeat dad kidnaps his kids from the bus to an abusive foster home and they go on a run. The cops are after them, they bicker constantly and his idea of a way out is grim, yet this dangerous ride might just turn them into a family.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2

Comedy · 2011

Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them - because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. So Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.

Like Mike

Like Mike

Comedy · 2002

Calvin and his friends, who all live in an orphanage, find old shoes with the faded letters MJ connected to a powerline. One stormy night, they go to get the shoes when Calvin and the shoes are struck by lightning. Calvin now has unbelievable basketball powers and has the chance to play for the NBA.

Hotel for Dogs

Hotel for Dogs

Comedy · 2009

Placed in a foster home that doesn't allow pets, 16-year-old Andi and her younger brother, Bruce, turn an abandoned hotel into a home for their dog. Soon other strays arrive, and the hotel becomes a haven for every orphaned canine in town. But the kids have to do some quick thinking to keep the cops off their tails.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Comedy · 1992

Instead of flying to Florida with his folks, Kevin ends up alone in New York, where he gets a hotel room with his dad's credit card—despite problems from a clerk and meddling bellboy. But when Kevin runs into his old nemeses, the Wet Bandits, he's determined to foil their plans to rob a toy store on Christmas Eve.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Dennis Dugan

Written by

Larry Karaszewski · Scott Alexander

John Ritter

John Ritter

Ben

Jack Warden

Jack Warden

Big Ben

Michael J. Oliver

Michael J. Oliver

Junior

Gilbert Gottfried

Gilbert Gottfried

Mr. Peabody

Amy Yasbeck

Amy Yasbeck

Flo

Michael Richards

Michael Richards

Martin Beck

Peter Jurasik

Peter Jurasik

Roy

Court is in session

Put Problem Child on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Popcorn Loyalist

“It owes the canon nothing.”

The movie pursues immediacy and audience pleasure without begging institutions to certify its worth.

The prosecution The Big-Idea Head

“Easy pleasure, short half-life.”

It moves efficiently through the moment but offers little reason to keep arguing once the credits end.