Cinematic adaptation of Hank Ketcham's 50's comic strip with newcomer Mason Gamble as Dennis and Walter Matthau as the well-meaning, but crotchety Mr. Wilson, an old man who both likes Dennis and suffers at his hands. Christopher Lloyd co-stars.

SEX/NUDITY 2 - A teenage couple is seen necking and three 5-year-olds talk about the birds and the bees, without any real idea of how procreation works.

VIOLENCE/GORE 4 - There's lots of slapstick mayhem, as Dennis slingshots an aspirin into Mr. Wilson's mouth, switches mouth-wash for nasal spray, and bathroom cleaner for mouth-wash and makes him slip on a wet floor. Some pranks do verge on cruelty, especially when Dennis encounters a would-be kidnapper. The kidnapper is clobbered on the head, set on fire, force-fed beans (with predictably noisy results), tied up and dragged.

LANGUAGE 1 - Some anatomical references and a few mild insults.

DISCUSSION TOPICS - Pregnancy and procreation, stealing, working mothers and day-care.

MESSAGE - Impressionable youngsters may get the idea that mischief will make them cute. The only villain is the only homeless person in the film.