Dennis the Menace

John (Home Alone) Hughes is a dab hand at reconstituted family comedies. The script for this one he based on characters from Hank Ketcham's comic strip. Cherubic blond moppet Dennis (Gamble) - not to be confused with the Beano's tousle-haired anarchist - is about as naughty as a choirboy on a Sunday school outing, and in terms of mischief only half as imaginative. Abandoned by his parents to the care of grouchy Mr Wilson (Matthau) and his childless wife (Plowright), Dennis runs amok. Wilson rashly prepares to exhibit his ultra-rare Moon Plant at the local horticultural society's annual beanfeast... A smooth blend of sentiment and slapstick.