A fun and moral tale. Entertains both first-time Seasame Street watchers and seasoned veterans.
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
-
Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
-
Common Sense says
Sesame Street fans will love this movie.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 3 and Up
What to watch out for
-
Violence & scariness:
-
Sexy stuff:
-
Language:
-
Consumerism:
-
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland was written by Nell Minow
Parents need to know that some children may be concerned that Elmo doesn't seem to have any parents and may need some reassurance.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about their own "special" toys and other transition objects and why it can be hard to share sometimes. It can be a lot of fun to spend a couple of hours pretending the whole family is in Grouchland!
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
What’s the Story?
In this Sesame Street adventure, Elmo's favorite friend, his beloved blanket, is tossed into Oscar's trash can. Elmo goes in after it, only to find himself transported to Grouchland, where grouches cut off the flowers and keep the stems and you get put in jail if you ask for help. The Sesame Street characters all go to Grouchland to try to find Elmo, but by then Elmo is on his way to get his blanket back from mean Mr. Huxley (Mandy Patinkin), who takes everything he sees and has a big machine to stamp "MINE" on everything he takes.
Is It Any Good?
Fans of Sesame Street will love THE ADVENTURES OF ELMO IN GROUCHLAND, which has all of the Sesame Street trademarks -- subtle puns for the parents, delightful silliness for the kids, and gentle lessons about cooperation, loyalty, sharing, and believing in yourself for everyone, all told with their characteristic warmth, good humor, and kindness. Even Oscar the Grouch admits that Elmo is his friend. And at the few moments of mild tension, Ernie and Bert appear to reassure kids that everything is all right.
Patinkin and Vanessa Williams (as the Trash Queen) provide some star power, but the real stars are the Muppets (whose colors and textures are wonderful on the big screen), and the audience -- who are invited to participate in the movie at crucial moments.
Movie Details
Studio: Columbia Tristar, Director: Gary Halvorson
Run time: 73 minutes
Theatrical release: 10/1/1999
MPAA Rating: G
Run time: 73 minutes
Theatrical release: 10/1/1999
MPAA Rating: G
Our Members Say
See all 19 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
-
I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
-
I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
Emotionally Terrifying to Some Kids
I can't believe that I should have screened an Elmo movie for 5 and 7 year old girls, but I really wish I had. Good grief!! Both were terrified at the thought of a blanket/lovey being both damaged and then stolen. Sensitive kids are going to be very upset by this seemingly harmless movie. Other than that huge issue, it was well made.
-
I rate this title off for age 4 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Terrifying for any child who has a "lovey" - a month after she saw the first half of the movie (at which point she was crying so hard we had to turn it off), my daughter is still petrified that someone is going to take her favorite stuffed animal (her "lovey"). Although she has watched Sesame Street since she was about 2, she will no longer watch it because Oscar and the other grouches are so scary for her. I'm so mad at myself for not previewing this before I let her see it. If you have a sensitive child, do NOT let them see this.
-
I rate this title iffy for age 3 and give it
good
a very good movie i loved it when i was a toddler.but there are some bits of the movie that might be mildly scary for kids 3 and under.
-
I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
I have nothing 2 say about this movie!
I watched this movie all the time when I was little, and I loved it! I see people saying that it frightened young children, but I loved when I was little!!
-
I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Sesame Street always comes through!
I loved this movie, I don't know 1 child who does not love Elmo. It is a tiny bit scary only because Elmo goes into Grouchland and he is not familiar with his environment. The "Bad" guy is just very selfish, not evil like in lots of kids shows. It's a happy upbeat movie that parallels the sweetness Sesame Street delivers in all it's shows.
-
I rate this title off for age 0 and give it
My Kids were Terrified.
My twin sons, almost 5 at the time of watching this movie, freaked out at Elmo's loss of his lovey. The meanies who took it were too terrifying for them. They wouldn't even watch it with me but preferred to run out of the room. Be careful with this movie if you have tender, kind, empathic children as this movie might not be right for your kids, either.
-
I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
-
I rate this title off for age 0 and give it
-
I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Sensitive Kids Might Get a Little Freaked, But...
My daughter is 4.5 years old and was somewhat anxious during some parts of the movie, but just at that time, Ernie and Bert appear, stop the movie, and provide much needed levity, and Bert expresses the anxieties that the child is experiencing about the plot. If you have very sensitive kids, (like mine who was traumatized by the first 15 minutes of the Little Mermaid and never went back) there may be some tough parts, but the producers did seem to know where they would be and that helped.
-
I rate this title off for age 0 and give it
DO NOT LET LITTLE KIDS SEE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this movie would be be borring for kids my age. i mean seriously, elmo loses his blankie, ooooh! but DO NOT allow your little children to see this. I saw this when i was 4, and the entire theater of 4 year olds either had to leave the theater, or were bawling their eyes out. i had nightmares every night for weeks afterword, and cried myself to sleep each night. DO NOT take your young kids to see this movie.
-
I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
-
I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
-
I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
-
I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
-
I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
-
I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
-
I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
-
I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Give Recommendations, Get Them, Too!
Become a member and get recommendations from other parents based on your child's age.Tell us your child's age:
Already a member? Log inOur Members Rate It
Ratings at a Glance
| 50% | of parents say it's too violent |
Have you seen it?
For Your Family
Get age-based recommendations for your kids:
Customize based on your child's age
