DVD Review: A Dennis the Menace Christmas

Writer: Kathleen Laccinole
Director: Ron Oliver
Cast: Maxwell Perry Cotton, Robert Wagner, Louise Fletcher, Kim Schraner, George Newbern, Isaac Durnford, Jack Noseworthy
Rating: Not Rated
Studio:Warner Premiere
Release Date: November 6, 2007

Once upon a time, if a video or DVD was released without having the chance to be seen in a theater that usually meant the movie wasn’t that good. Warner Premiere and Warner Home Video have worked together to release straight to DVD releases that are good enough to air in the theaters, but are going to be available to a wider audience immediately.

This movie, at least on Amazon, is also available as a download. This, to me, signifies advancement in the digital revolution. People will no longer have to go to the movies if they want to, now that movies are coming out straight to DVD and downloads allow for even less effort as it provides an instantaneous purchase and delivery of the product straight to the home without even having to go out to the store if you prefer not to shop through online retailers.

A Dennis the Menace Christmas is the first straight to DVD release from Warner Premiere. It has a few big names in the cast and a fairly decent story to accompany these actors. By adding in decent direction and a heartwarming Christmas message, A Dennis the Menace Christmas has all the elements to become one of those movies you look forward to watching with the family as a part of your Christmas tradition.

Release Information:
This movie was based on a favorite syndicated comic strip, Dennis the Menace, about a six year old menace who loves to annoy (unintentionally) his elderly next door neighbor, Mr. George Wilson. The comic was originally drawn and created by Hank Ketcham. The release for A Dennis the Menace Christmas has been pushed around the month of November. At one point, it was said the movie would be coming out November 17, 2007. Other listings showed the release as November 13, 2007.

The official release occurred on November 6, 2007. The DVD can be found in local retail stores such as Wal-mart and Target. It can also be found online at their websites and at Amazon where it is available in DVD and download form. The download is available for both rent and to own. The retail value for the DVD is $19.98.

The A Dennis the Menace Christmas Plot
The last heavily promoted Dennis the Menace movie aired in 1993 and starred Walter Matthau as George Wilson and Mason Gamble as Dennis. The role of Dennis requires a mischievous, blond haired little boy of around six or seven years old. Gamble was a cute little boy with blonde hair that definitely had the menace personality down pat. While the movie was a fun family flick (it was a John Hughes movie, after all), it was one of those movies you only loved if you like family comedy. Walter Matthau was the best part of the movie. He “was” Mr. Wilson. When casting a new Dennis movie it would be hard to find as cantankerous an old man, now that Matthau has passed on and is unable to take on the role.

When you think of the Dennis the Menace cartoon, you think of the kid in the red overalls with the blue striped shirt. This is perfect for a kid in the 1950s, which is when Dennis the Menace first came out. Now that it is the 21st century, the filmmakers for A Dennis the Menace Christmas wanted to update the character. In this film, there is a more modern Dennis with hints of the past, including a pair of red overalls in his closet when he’s first getting dressed at the beginning of the movie.

I’m usually a movie purist and don’t like change when it comes to characters, but the Dennis modernization didn’t really bother me. The character was essentially the same menace. He just was put in more modern day scenarios and clothing. It was a way to have the movie make sense to a modern day audience and yet keep the authenticity that makes Dennis the Menace such a beloved character of audiences of all ages.

In A Dennis the Menace Christmas, Dennis the Menace meets Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. There are a few intersecting storylines in this movie that all come together at the end. In the first storyline, Dennis (Maxwell Perry Cotton) and the school bully, Jack Bratcher (Isaac Durnford) are constantly at odds. Jack repeatedly calls Dennis a loser and challenges him to a race, which Dennis loses with his old, worn down bike. Jack’s over-abrasive father, David (Jack Noseworthy) encourages his son to be a bully. In fact, we are given a hint into David’s past, which seems to reflect that he was the school bully who picked on Dennis’ father, Henry Mitchell (George Newbern) when they were kids. Jack and Dennis vow to race one another on Christmas Day, when Dennis just knows that Santa is going to bring him a new bike, which he saw in the window of the toy store.

The second storyline also involves the Bratchers. David sells the school and all of the Mitchell family’s neighbors an insurance policy that includes something called the Dennis clause. If Dennis causes the mishap then the insurance company will not pay for the damage. Every accident Dennis has or causes comes out of Henry and his wife, Alice’s (Kim Schraner) pockets. Alice even takes on a second job as a gift wrapper at the local mall to help alleviate all the debt they owe, but the mishaps just keep piling up and the debt becomes so great the family isn’t likely to have a good Christmas this year.

The third storyline has Dennis drawing Mr. Wilson’s (Robert Wagner) name in a community secret Santa. Since Alice is working, Martha Wilson (Louise Fletcher) agrees to babysit for Dennis. This is the perfect opportunity for Dennis to find out just what Mr. Wilson wants for Christmas. Unfortunately, he gets into trouble and still has no idea of what Mr. Wilson needs. After talking to Henry, who explains to Dennis that sometimes the best gifts in life are free, he decides to give Mr. Wilson the Christmas spirit.

Dennis makes a list of all the things Mr. Wilson will need to get into the Christmas spirit. Mr. Wilson hates Christmas so much the Wilsons don’t celebrate. Mrs. Wilson nostalgically keeps one ornament hidden though it is clear she misses the festivities around the house. After all of Dennis’ plans backfire in typical Dennis the Menace fashion, Mr. Wilson is taken through the past, present and future a la “A Christmas Carol” to not only get the Christmas spirit back, but to help out a little boy who no longer believes in Christmas thanks to him.

The movie is slightly predictable, incredibly corny in parts, and has that sugar coated, candy sweetness of a 1950s sitcom. Yet, it has all the imperfections of a 2007 childhood and some realistic reality. The two aspects of the movie manage to blend together surprisingly well. You just have to let your inner child out and not take this movie too seriously to both enjoy the movie and get the messages that are tucked into all of the interwoven storylines.

The acting was pretty good. Maxwell Perry Cotton is only six, and it shows. He’s wet behind the ears, but shows promise. Robert Wagner is good in everything he is in, though I once saw it written that he would be too glamorous to play Mr. Wilson. I believe Wagner was able to take on the normal, grouchy, old guy next door persona surprisingly well and he complimented Louise Fletcher. The two made a great pair. Still, I cannot say he’s the definitive George Wilson because Matthau was so perfect in the role and the two played the character on two distinctly different levels, so it’s hard to compare their performances.

Audio/Visual:
The video looked pretty good on A Dennis the Menace Christmas. It was filmed in a 16 x 9 widescreen format. I had very little trouble seeing the picture and any minor flaws in the picture did not distract from watching and enjoying this movie. As for the audio, it sounded excellent. The music and the text were clear and I didn’t have to play with the volume once I had it set with this movie. The audio quality is English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.

Bonus Features:
There were a few bonus features included on the A Dennis the Menace Christmas DVD. The most enjoyable of the special features was the featurette entitled “The Making of A Dennis the Menace Christmas”. This explores the changes made to the script to make it modern. It also talks about casting, discusses Robert Wagner’s role and talks about how they chose Maxwell Perry Cotton for the role of Dennis. Other special features include a blooper reel, a series of outtakes, a deleted scene, trailers of upcoming Warner Bros. movies, and two different audio commentaries. One of the commentaries is a pop up video commentary with Maxwell Perry Cotton. The other is with Ron Oliver, the director of A Dennis the Menace Christmas, and Robert Wagner.

Technorati Tags: A Dennis the Menace Christmas, Mr. Wilson, Robert Wagner, Maxwell Perry Cotton, Louise Fletcher, Hank Ketcham, Comic Strip