Alright fellow tapeheads, settle in and adjust your tracking. Remember that garish orange VHS box art practically screaming at you from the shelf? The one with that little freckled menace, Junior, flashing a grin that promised pure, unadulterated chaos? Yeah, you know the one. We’re diving back into the anarchy with Problem Child 2, the 1991 sequel that somehow managed to feel both inevitable and completely unnecessary, all while etching itself into the memory banks of anyone who frequented the 'New Releases' wall back in the day.
It's fascinating to think that the minds behind this gleefully crude slice of early 90s attitude, writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, would later gift us with critically acclaimed, nuanced biopics like Ed Wood (1994) and The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996). But back in '91, they were doubling down on the destructive antics of Junior Healy (Michael Oliver), transplanting him and his perpetually flustered adoptive dad, Ben (John Ritter), to the seemingly idyllic, yet ironically named, town of Mortville – dubbed the "Divorcee Capital of the World."
Welcome to Mortville: More Problems, More Kids
The premise is simple: Ben wants a fresh start and maybe, just maybe, a normal life for Junior. Mortville, however, is practically overflowing with single women, most notably the ridiculously wealthy and power-hungry Lawanda Dumore (Laraine Newman, absolutely chewing the scenery). It's also home to Annie Young, the kindly school nurse played by Amy Yasbeck. Now, if you're a sharp-eyed viewer, you'll remember Yasbeck played the scheming Flo Healy in the first film! It's a strange bit of casting recycling, perhaps a testament to how quickly this sequel was churned out (hitting screens just 14 months after the original), but Yasbeck brings a welcome warmth that contrasts nicely with the surrounding chaos. Annie also comes with her own problem child, the equally destructive Trixie (Ivyann Schwan), setting the stage for a pint-sized Cold War of pranks and sabotage.
Escalation is the Name of the Game
Let's be honest, Problem Child 2 isn't about subtle character development. It's about escalation. If the first film pushed the boundaries of bad taste for a kids' movie, this one gleefully pole-vaults over them. The gags are broader, louder, and often, well, grosser. Who could forget the infamous carnival ride scene? You know the one – ending with projectile vomit coating half the cast. It’s the kind of scene that likely horrified parents but had kids howling with laughter (or maybe shielding their eyes) during sleepovers. Director Brian Levant, who would go on to helm other family-friendly chaos like Beethoven (1992) and The Flintstones (1994), keeps the energy high and the visuals bright, leaning into the cartoonish nature of the violence. Much of Mortville's surprisingly sunny backdrop was actually filmed on location at Universal Studios Florida, giving the suburban mayhem a slightly hyper-real, theme-park quality.
Amidst the flying food, explosions, and general disregard for property and personal safety, the late, great John Ritter remains the film's anchor. His Ben Healy is a masterclass in exasperated everyman comedy. Ritter commits fully, reacting to the escalating insanity with a wide-eyed panic that’s genuinely funny. He sells the physical comedy and somehow makes Ben's unwavering (and frankly, baffling) love for Junior feel almost believable. We also get the return of the legendary Jack Warden as "Big Ben" Healy, Ben's obnoxious, overbearing father, who swoops in with his own brand of inappropriate advice and entrepreneurial scheming.
A Relic of Its Time?
Looking back through the haze of nostalgia (and maybe some VCR static), Problem Child 2 feels very much like a product of its specific moment. It arrived before the irony-drenched cynicism of the later 90s fully took hold, existing in that slightly awkward phase where studios were still figuring out how edgy "family" entertainment could get. Critics, unsurprisingly, tore it apart upon release, condemning its mean-spirited humor and lack of redeeming qualities. Audiences, however, especially younger ones, were more receptive. While it didn't replicate the surprising box office haul of the original ($72 million worldwide), it still managed to pull in nearly $33 million globally against its estimated $15 million budget, ensuring its place on video store shelves for years to come. It tapped into that kid-logic desire to see authority figures flustered and rules gleefully broken, even if the methods were questionable at best.
Does it hold up? Well, that depends entirely on your tolerance for crude slapstick and your fondness for early 90s aesthetics. The humor is often repetitive, and the plot is thinner than Junior's list of good deeds. Yet, there’s a certain brazen energy to it, a commitment to its own juvenile brand of anarchy that’s hard to completely dismiss, especially if you have fond memories of renting that tape. John Ritter's performance alone is worth revisiting.
VHS Heaven Rating: 4/10
Justification: While John Ritter gives it his all and there's undeniable nostalgic value for those who grew up with it, Problem Child 2 leans too heavily into mean-spirited, gross-out gags that often feel more uncomfortable than funny today. It lacks the (relative) heart of the first film and feels like a rushed cash-in, albeit one directed with a certain frantic energy by Brian Levant. Its memorable moments (like the vomit ride) are memorable for perhaps the wrong reasons. It earns points for Ritter, Warden, and its status as a specific early-90s artifact, but it's objectively a crude and often charmless affair.
Final Thought: Like finding an old pack of Shock Tarts in your childhood junk drawer, Problem Child 2 offers a jolt of something intensely familiar from the early 90s – aggressively flavored, maybe a bit chemically, and guaranteed to make you wince and smile at the same time. Watch it for Ritter and the time capsule effect, but maybe keep a barf bag handy... just in case.