Dennis the Menace is coming to cause trouble
The 1993 family comedy turns one tiny neighbor into a full-scale home disaster plan.
Remind MeDennis the Menace has always had the perfect kid-comedy engine: Dennis means well, Mr. Wilson wants peace, and the universe chooses maximum property damage. The 1993 movie takes that setup and goes big, turning a quiet neighborhood into a playground of paint spills, wrecked routines, and one very tired grown-up trying to survive the day.
That is the fun of it. This is sunny, physical, old-school family comedy built around cause and effect: a curious kid pulls one thread, and suddenly the whole sweater is on the floor. Mason Gamble gives Dennis the right amount of sweetness, while Walter Matthau makes Mr. Wilson's exasperation feel almost operatic.
Dennis the Menace arrives on Tubi soon, which means it is time to prepare the snack bowl, protect the flower beds, and add a little neighborhood mayhem to the family queue.
The Cast
Walter Matthau
Matthau plays George Wilson like a man fighting a private war against noise, timing, and youthful enthusiasm. His reactions are half the comedy, because every squint and slow burn tells you exactly how much peace Dennis has just removed from his day.
Mason Gamble
Gamble gives Dennis the key ingredient: innocence. He is not trying to wreck anyone's afternoon, which makes the chain reactions even funnier. His Dennis is curious, sweet, and completely unaware that one small idea can become neighborhood-wide event planning.
Joan Plowright
Plowright brings warmth as Martha Wilson, the neighbor who can still see the good intentions under all the mess. She softens the edges around George and gives the movie a gentle family heartbeat when the slapstick starts moving fast.
Christopher Lloyd
Lloyd brings a grimy, storybook edge as Switchblade Sam, giving the movie a burst of kid-adventure danger without losing its comic spirit. He is the shadow at the edge of the sunny neighborhood, and the contrast works.
“I didn't mean to ruin everything, but here we are.”
Sneak Peek
Why Watch It
Dennis the Menace is worth flagging now because it hits a very specific family-movie pleasure: big, clean physical comedy with a soft center. It is built for anyone who loves chain reactions, crabby neighbors, backyard schemes, and kids who turn ordinary afternoons into civic incidents.
It also has the kind of grown-up kid-comedy cast that gives the movie extra flavor. Matthau knows exactly how to play irritation as an art form, Plowright keeps the warmth steady, and Lloyd brings just enough storybook danger to make the world feel bigger than one quiet street.
Add this one to the list if your house enjoys comedy with noise, heart, and a warning label for anyone emotionally attached to their flower beds. Dennis the Menace is coming soon to Tubi.
More details
Nick Castle
Walter Matthau, Mason Gamble, Joan Plowright, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson
Coming soon to Tubi