Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Charming and brutal

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

"Problem Child" released in late summer 1990 (thus predating "Home Alone" by a few months) was a surprise "hit" despite scathing reviews. How this film became a hit is beyond me because this is a completely inept and awful film. It's amateur hour from beginning to end as to its direction, writing, and acting.The plot: a childless suburban couple consisting of a good-hearted, kind husband (John Ritter) and his shallow, social-status seeking wife (Amy Yasbeck) are conned into adopting the "problem child" of a Catholic orphanage. This repulsive child named "Junior" and played by the repulsive looking and utterly talentless Michael Oliver promptly turns their lives into a dysfunctional hell as he plays pranks on and physically assaults anyone who crosses him. Michael Richards in a pre-Seinfeld role makes an appearance as Junior's idol, a bow-tie wearing serial killer, and Jack Warden collects a paycheck playing John Ritter's creep-politician dad.Director Dennis Dugan, whose career has inexplicably spanned decades thanks to his long working association with Adam Sandler, either is completely talentless (a strong possibility considering his work with Sandler) or he simply didn't care (another strong possibility considering his work with Sandler). The performances across the board are unspeakably awful with the scenes with the kid actors appearing to have been done in one take with minimal direction. The performances of the various child actors shouldn't have passed muster for a grade-school play production, let alone a feature film! Still, the late John Ritter (a very likable actor) and Michael Richards were professionals and did what they could with their horribly written characters, but no one emerged with their reputations enhanced from this film. Due to being it being a surprise hit with undemanding kids, Ritter got roped into the even worse sequel but said never again to continuing on with the series.The ONLY redeeming value of this film is that it's so inept and so awful that its pure wretchedness actually may provide some unintentional entertainment value. One can laugh AT IT rather than WITH IT. Thus, I notched-up my rating to two stars instead of one.

Problem Child is directed by Dennis Dugan and starring John Ritter, Jack Warden, Michael Oliver, Gilbert Gottfried, Michael Richards. Ben Healy (John Ritter) and his social climbing wife Flo adopt Junior, a fun-loving seven year old who is truly acts up badly when they can't bare children of their own. But they soon discover that he is a little monster when he turns a camping trip, a birthday party and even a baseball game into comic nightmares. This is sprite really funny-- that family movies today would be more like they were in the 80's and 90's, if only they were a lot edgier and got away with a lot more,. Today's family's comedy are too tame and politically correct. Great movie, and you hit the nail on the head about all the PC in every damn thing these days. You rarely see raunchy humor in a kid's movie these days…(Animal abuse, sex jokes, etc. etc. and a high speed chase with guns) but it fail to live up to the idea of being "Family-friendly" which kind of hurts the movie in viewer-ship and thus it kind of bomb in the box office. Just because it has a kid in it, doesn't mean it's a family/kid movie. If you watch the movie—you can clearly see that the problem child isn't really the problem, but those who he is surround with. Flo (play by Amy Yasbeck) is a selfish, gold-digging stepmother. Junior's grandpa is a a tyrannical sporting goods dealer who treat his only son play by John Ritter badly. John Ritter's character is the only character in the film that kind of likable. Gilbert Gottfried plays the agent that brings John Ritter's character to Junior and Ben really tries to be the greatest father ever, but fails to keep Junior in check when Junior looks up to the wrong person in Michael Richards. The question is, does Ben save Junior from the wrong path, or does Junior follow Richard's character into a life of crime. Watch it to find out.

The movie's premise of a naughty neglected boy being adopted by a overly kind parent who ends up loving him would make a great movie, if given better writing. I would recommend the "comedy" being mostly removed and it being done as a drama.. maybe a bit of a psychological case study type movie. The premise of a kid who is different finding love and acceptance is a good movie formula(like Martian Child). Even some of the scenes could even work in the drama version.A few that spring to mind are Junior's first night when Ben has a heart to heart with his new son in the kitchen. The scene is actually nice and touching. Ben really comes off well and Junior seems like a decent kid in the scene. The other is when Ben is free of the wife and Junior and is happy till he finds the picture. Another scene I'd keep.Overall, the movie is okay. It is very mean spirited and one has to wonder as Junior sets up his nasty pranks how no one notices him doing the things. The kid is a major brat and could stand a spanking or two. Jon Ritter's character is the only really well done character in the film.The drama version wouldn't have to be that much different plot wise really. Here goes: Drop the opening of him being tossed from home to home. Just give a little exposition in dialog later. Give a bit of neglect and maybe some abuse to add weight to it. Open with the boy (give a name other than Junior (to generic))getting into some trouble and being scolded. Nothing psychotic like the comedy version. Make him an outcast still and the other kids are mean. Kid figures if he isn't liked, he will pick a role model who isn't nice... like a criminal (drop the stupid bow tie though.) Cut to the kindhearted dad and the mom. She can still be a bit of a witch and want the child for the selfless reasons. But the dad wants to be a good father and make a difference in a child's life. Heck we could make him just a single father. Keep the aggressive grandfather role. He can be the same jerk and not care for Junior since he is adopted.Junior acts out to get attention and gets in a fight with another kid who teases him. Dad sits down the son and talks him through his troubles. Kid still does stuff that is wrong but nothing like the awful "pranks" like in the 1990 version. He does it for the real reason a kid like that would. He sees any kind of attention as a good thing.Over the course of movie the boy starts to try and model himself after his new dad as he finally feels more acceptance. But when he tries to do something nice for his dad he ends up doing something really bad (like wrecking the car into a house or something). Fearing he will no longer be loved, he runs away. Dad desperately looks for his son and comes to the boy's aid. Ends with dad and son forming a bond of love and the boy beginning to heal.Cut, print, Oscar...There same basic plot and a lot of elements, but a more realistic approach. Instead of a sadistic child who laughs with glee at things that could have caused someone's death, we get a realistic scared child craving attention.

I don't really understand why this movie only got a 4 something review, or was it three? I'm not really sure, but really this movie? Gosh, I remember this when I was small. Every time it would be previewed in the TV, I would sit down and wait for a laugh fest. I remember laughs, wheezes and me holding my stomach while watching this movie. I don't care if it's real or not but then again, exaggerations are okay if they give you a good time. Right? Or am I right?Also, the other thing that I really liked was that this child Jr. was a genius (or not because it's purely fictitious). I love the schemes and the fact that he handled all of it with a maniacal and evil grin was even better. Gosh!I love this kid! And he looks like a little angel with those freckles on his nose! Awwww... Who wouldn't love that kid?