So this certainly isn't Dennis The Menace as we know him from the Beano comics. For starters he's not wearing his trademark red and black striped jumper. Also in this film, 95% of the mischief that Dennis gets up to is a genuine mistake. He's not really the mischievous brat that we know from the comics - he's just very clumsy! (So I find him more relatable in that sense.)
Speaking of appearances, the actor who plays Dennis' father in this film looks more like the geek Walter from the comic books, who Dennis always picks on! The Walter character is nowhere to be seen in this movie.

So watching it just as a stand alone film and not expecting to see any resemblance to the comic strips, it is an enjoyable movie. It is spoilt a great deal at the beginning by a young actress named Amy Sakasitz (who plays Margaret). She cannot act to save her life and I was really glad she wasn't in it for very long. Interestingly all the other actors, both kids and adults were rather good. Mason Gamble who played the lead role was brilliant. Walter Matthau and Christopher Lloyd are fantastic actors anyway so that came as no surprise.

It also comes as no surprise that it's written and produced by John Hughes because the film does have a similar feel to "Home Alone" and "Uncle Buck". And while it is an enjoyable film to watch, unlike the other two films I've mentioned, I see no need to return to it time and time again. Once is enough. But it's certainly enjoyable that once.