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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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Like Mike

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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

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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.

Baby's Day Out

Baby's Day Out

Comedy · 1994

Baby Bink couldn't ask for more: he has adoring (if somewhat sickly-sweet) parents, lives in a huge mansion, and he's just about to appear in the social pages of the paper. Unfortunately, not everyone in the world is as nice as Baby Bink's parents—especially the three enterprising kidnappers who pretend to be photographers from the newspaper. Successfully kidnapping Baby Bink, they have a harder time keeping hold of the rascal, who not only keeps one step ahead of them, but seems to be more than a little bit smarter than the three bumbling criminals.

Despicable Me 2

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Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help deal with a powerful new super criminal.

The Rescuers Down Under

The Rescuers Down Under

Animation · 1990

A lawless poacher wants to capture a majestic and rare golden eagle, so he kidnaps the boy who knows where to find the bird. Not to worry -- the Rescue Aid Society's top agents, heroic mice Miss Bianca and Bernard, fly to Australia to save the day. Accompanying the fearless duo are bumbling albatross Wilbur and local field operative Jake the Kangaroo Rat.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Dennis Dugan

Written by

Scott Alexander · Larry Karaszewski

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.