General
- Adaptation Displacement: The live-action series, the DiC cartoons (especially the 1986 series) and the 1993 film have far more recognition than the comic strip.
- Can't Un-Hear It: Depending on the era, Dennis' definitive portrayal is done by either Jay North (live-action series), Brennan Thicke (1986 animated series) or Mason Gamble (1993 film).
- Designated Hero: Dennis is the hero, but is very oblivious of the chaos and misery he causes to George Wilson and we're supposed to root for him because Mr. Wilson's mean to him (or at the very least laugh at Wilson's misery).
- Designated Villain: George Wilson may seem like a grouch, but it's very hard to not root for him since he suffers all the misery and abuse inflicted by Dennis, who remains oblivious to his actions.
- Memetic Mutation: "HEY MR. WILSON!!"
- The Woobie: It's easy to sympathize with Mr. Wilson for what he has to put up with from Dennis.
DiC cartoon
- Awesome Music: The theme song for the 80s series
. A very upbeat theme with some slight jazz, especially big ups to the saxophone playing. - Bizarro Episode: The episode "Trembly Assembly" in the 1986 series.
- Hilarious in Hindsight:
- The 1986 cartoon episode "Going to the Dogs" has Dennis, Joey and Ruff visiting a dimension called Dog City, which is populated by anthropomorphic dogs. Three years later, The Jim Henson Hour would feature a one-off special with a similar name and concept, which would inspire an animated series three more years later.
- The All-New Dennis the Menace episode "Dennis the Genius" features a teacher named Miss Finster who has the same voice actor as Miss Grotke, Allyce Beasley.
- Retroactive Recognition: Wait, Phil Hartman voiced Mr. Wilson and Mr. Mitchell?
- Tear Jerker: In "Ruff Come Home", on their way back from riding a riverboat on the local river, the Mitchells accidentally leave Ruff behind, and Ruff struggles to catch up with their car. When they come home, they discover that Ruff is missing, and Dennis worries that something bad has happened to him. He has a nightmare where several bad outcomes happen to Ruff, such as being sold to a man in Siberia, being used as a desert bloodhound, where the man who bought him tells the man he sold him to that he'll go for weeks without water, and being sold to a circus, where he is made to do such tricks as walking a tightrope and leaping through a flaming hoop.
Live-action series
- Harsher in Hindsight: The last episode shown before Joseph Kearns's death was about Mr. Wilson's will.
- Hilarious in Hindsight: In the first episode, Dennis eludes his babysitter to go to the movie that his parents are seeing. 33 years later, Dennis gets his feature film adaptation.
- Overshadowed by Controversy: The live-action series is now most well known for how Jay North was suffering horrific physical abuse from his aunt and uncle during its entire run, constantly accusing him of playing scenes wrong.
- Retroactive Recognition: A young Kurt Russell can be seen in the episode "Wilson's Second Childhood".
Live-action movie
- Awesome Music: The score by the unconquerable Jerry Goldsmith—particularly the main theme—still remains an exceptional and undeniable gem to this day.
- Fair for Its Day: Alice being a working mom and going back into the workplace would have been seen as a much bigger deal in 1993 note , and while obstacles for working parents still exist in many U.S. companies and state labor/workplace laws (like her uncooperative co-worker), the worsening economy, as well as the passage of time, would now make Alice's decision the norm rather than the exception.
- Memetic Mutation: More than a few people have noted the resemblance between Walter Matthau's Mr. Wilson and Saddam Hussein. Doubly so for the video game adaptation.
- Moral Event Horizon: Switchblade Sam crosses it by trying to stab Dennis with his knife.
- Nightmare Fuel:
- Dennis riding his bike through the woods at night, followed by Switchblade Sam emerging from the darkness in front of Dennis.
- Switchblade Sam fits the Vile Villain, Saccharine Show trope in general; he's a dark, dirty, and crooked thief who throughout the film steals money and jewelry from people's houses, Margaret's antique baby doll, and even Gunther's apple. He also threatens little kids with his knife, which is proven when he takes Dennis hostage near the end of the film. Even though he becomes a goofy Butt-Monkey by then, his sinister motive and actions still contrast the film's whimsical and comedic elements. It was for this reason that Siskel & Ebert were unable to recommend the film despite enjoying the aforementioned comedic elements (and, as they point out in their televised review, why Sam's scenes were not approved for it).
- The Problem with Licensed Games: Yep, there was a video game for the Super Nintendo, based on the 1993 film. Everything about it was messed up, from the controls to the graphics (Mr. Wilson especially looks horrible).
- Tear Jerker:
- The "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" scene. As Mrs. Wilson recites the titular poem to Dennis to help him fall asleep, we get a shot of Henry and Alice in separate places, missing each other and Dennis due to having to attend separate business trips.
- Mr. Wilson's speech to Dennis is a particularly cruel Kick the Dog moment. Yes, Dennis is something of The Scrappy, but he never meant any malice toward Mr. Wilson, and just before the speech was actually trying to warn him. It's pretty heartwrenching to watch this five-year-old boy being told how horrible he is by a man he looks up to and doesn't know exactly why. It's almost immediately followed by Mr. Wilson realizing how cruel he was, Dennis running away, and the entire neighborhood looking for him while Margaret cries.
- Unintentionally Sympathetic: It's hard not to feel bad for Mr. Wilson, especially just after the bloom scene.
