Problem Child (1990)

Problem Child is the kind of unruly, high-energy family comedy that commits fully to its premise: what if the “perfect” adoption story turned into a full-scale, slapstick demolition derby. Dennis Dugan keeps the pace brisk and the mayhem inventive, while John Ritter anchors the chaos with that priceless mix of exasperation and decency that makes you root for him even when everything around him is on fire—sometimes literally. The movie’s vibe is gleefully mischievous and a little meaner than your average kid comedy, but there’s just enough heart tucked under the pranks to keep it from feeling empty. If you enjoy broad, cartoonish troublemaking and don’t mind humor that occasionally pushes the edge for a family film, this is pure junk-food fun with a sneaky bit of brains behind the noise.

Problem Child is clearly aiming for a broad, cartoonish family comedy about a “bad kid” turning suburban life into a disaster zone, and it commits to that premise with nonstop chaos. The problem is the humor often leans more mean-spirited and grating than clever, with a noisy, episodic string of humiliations that can feel like it’s punching down rather than building real laughs. If you’re hoping for warm family charm or a genuinely sweet adoption story, this may test your patience, and the kid’s antics plus the adults’ cruelty can be more unpleasant than funny. That said, John Ritter’s likability does some heavy lifting, and if you grew up on early-’90s slapstick and can handle a harsher edge, you might still find it dumbly watchable in short bursts.