Ever have those stash of movies or bands that you loved in your childhood but grew out of? Well to me, "Problem Child" is at the very top of that list.
One thing I will say is that it is pretty funny. But underneath all that lies genuine cruelty and hatred that is not pleasant in the slightest. The only truly likeable character is the always loveable John Ritter. Everyone else is just there to pick on the titular child, which isn't nice to see.
Ben Healy (John Ritter) is a loving husband to Flo (Amy Yasbeck) and son Big Ben (Jack Warden). Ben Sr. Is a sporting-goods businessman who is always power-hungry and even wants to go into politics. He even rejects passing the store down to his son. Flo is a mean and spoiled housewife who loves her pets more than her husband. Jack Warden is a living legend and is the only one to forgive between him and Flo.
Ben and Flo are trying for a baby, but positive test results reveal she never will. They decide to adopt and are talked into getting a seven-year-old boy named Junior (Michael Oliver).
Let's talk more about Junior-the titular character. The movie opens up with Junior being left on a doorstep, followed by a montage on him being left on various doorsteps before finally ending up at an orphanage. Nobody gave this kid a chance. He never learned what love is. At an orphanage filled with nuns, we all know how that will turn out.
When Junior ends up with the Healys, he does act out and stuff as that is what he is used to doing. From the get go, Big Ben hates him. Flo grows to hate him soon too. After a few days of Ben trying to be the best father he can and Junior meeting disrespectful people all around him, Ben's patience is greatly tested. And with all these people that wrong Junior, he had every right to enact revenge. I'm not saying he needed to raise hell, that's just presented here for laughs. But I don't blame him one bit for the pranks he pulled on those brats.
There's a subplot where Junior sees a killer named Martin, aka The Bowtie Killer (Michael Richards) on tv and feels for him. Richards is best known for playing the weird Kramer on "Seinfeld" and he starts off pretty good here. After he escapes from prison and is ready to go on a crime spree with Junior, the cruelty and meanness this movie already has is just amplified.
There is nothing wrong with having mean characters. That is so common in comedy. But make them fleshed out and make the jokes funnier. Don't make everything and everyone so tasteless and repugnant!
I am in the minority when I say it's first sequel was better. But I am definitely with everybody when I say "Problem Child 3" was awful.
2/4.
One thing I will say is that it is pretty funny. But underneath all that lies genuine cruelty and hatred that is not pleasant in the slightest. The only truly likeable character is the always loveable John Ritter. Everyone else is just there to pick on the titular child, which isn't nice to see.
Ben Healy (John Ritter) is a loving husband to Flo (Amy Yasbeck) and son Big Ben (Jack Warden). Ben Sr. Is a sporting-goods businessman who is always power-hungry and even wants to go into politics. He even rejects passing the store down to his son. Flo is a mean and spoiled housewife who loves her pets more than her husband. Jack Warden is a living legend and is the only one to forgive between him and Flo.
Ben and Flo are trying for a baby, but positive test results reveal she never will. They decide to adopt and are talked into getting a seven-year-old boy named Junior (Michael Oliver).
Let's talk more about Junior-the titular character. The movie opens up with Junior being left on a doorstep, followed by a montage on him being left on various doorsteps before finally ending up at an orphanage. Nobody gave this kid a chance. He never learned what love is. At an orphanage filled with nuns, we all know how that will turn out.
When Junior ends up with the Healys, he does act out and stuff as that is what he is used to doing. From the get go, Big Ben hates him. Flo grows to hate him soon too. After a few days of Ben trying to be the best father he can and Junior meeting disrespectful people all around him, Ben's patience is greatly tested. And with all these people that wrong Junior, he had every right to enact revenge. I'm not saying he needed to raise hell, that's just presented here for laughs. But I don't blame him one bit for the pranks he pulled on those brats.
There's a subplot where Junior sees a killer named Martin, aka The Bowtie Killer (Michael Richards) on tv and feels for him. Richards is best known for playing the weird Kramer on "Seinfeld" and he starts off pretty good here. After he escapes from prison and is ready to go on a crime spree with Junior, the cruelty and meanness this movie already has is just amplified.
There is nothing wrong with having mean characters. That is so common in comedy. But make them fleshed out and make the jokes funnier. Don't make everything and everyone so tasteless and repugnant!
I am in the minority when I say it's first sequel was better. But I am definitely with everybody when I say "Problem Child 3" was awful.
2/4.