The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (G, 1999)
common sense media says
Sesame Street fans will love this sweet movie.
parents & educators say
- 37% say there are positive messages
- 26% say violence is an issue
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that everything is topsy turvy when Elmo ventures into Grouchland, so a certain understanding of what is (and isn't) acceptable behavior is needed to get the humor fully -- hearing the pleasure with which the Grouches tell each other to get lost is funny only if you know it's not really OK. There are a few mildly perilous/tense moments that could upset sensitive or very young viewers, and some kids may be concerned that Elmo doesn't seem to have any parents and could need some reassurance.
Educational value:
Most of the movie's lessons have to do with communication, determination, and friendship. When Elmo loses his blankie, he needs to use a set of skills that will help him get it back. He has to communicate his needs, he has to co-operate with grouches, and he has to follow directions to help him find Huxley's castle.
Positive role models:
Elmo's friends -- both adults and younger folks, human and monster -- come to Elmo's aid when he's in a bind. Everyone works together to help solve problems.
Violence & scariness:
Some perilous moments -- like a rollerblading scene and falling down a tunnel -- that might put little ones on the edge of their seat. The villain, Huxley, is a selfish meanie who sends Elmo into a dark tunnel after stealing his blankie. But Elmo asks his friends in the audience for help and escapes the dark place.
Sexy stuff:
The Queen of Trash is a curvaceous, sensual woman. Huxley is shown in his boxer shorts and an undershirt.
Language:
Grouches aren't models of friendly language. Part of their "charm" is saying "scram," "yuck," and "go away!"
Consumerism:
Elmo has lots of toys in his room, including some Fisher Price classics and a poster of Tiger Woods. Huxley sings a song about things that he wants to take from other people in which he names brands like Atari and Ferrari. There's a reference to Starbucks, though it's called "Tarbucks."
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Not applicable.
More on The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
Review It
Based on 19 parent & educator reviews:
- 37% say there are positive messages
- 26% say violence is an issue
Most useful reviews by all members
Jim T.
parent of and 3 , 7 , 9 year old
parent of and 3 , 7 , 9 year old
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.
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Mollyrookie
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
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.
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MovieLover4Lyfe
adult
adult
Another great sesame street movie! Elmo was always my favorite character and anytime I pull this one off the shelf, the younger kids are always excited! Elmo in Grouchland is a must for the little ones!
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h.m.222
kid, 12 years old
kid, 12 years old
babys and toddlers love it (and me too.)
I'm 10, and I love the movie.
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monkeymo
parent
parent
Agh....too scary for my 3.5 year old.
I wish I had read the parents recommendations on this one rather than just commonsensemedia's review as my 3.5 year old was really upset by this movie. She was heartbroken when Elmo lost his blanket and started crying and then when Huxley appeared it all went downhill from there. He is quite a scary character for a young child and there are a fair number of scenes of peril and she was asking me to turn it off about half way through. We compromised and fast forwarded through the bits she didn't like - I really wanted her to get to the end of the movie though and see that Elmo did get his blanket back so that she wasn't worried about that afterwards. I also wanted her to see that the villian did get his comeuppance in the end although that wasn't really dealt with so well I didn't think. We did have a good chat afterwards about sharing and not sharing and not taking things from others without asking but all in all I wish I hadn't chosen it as it seemed to upset her far too much. More for older kids but then they might find the storyline a bit lame.
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ddaisydee76
parent of 2 year old
parent of 2 year old
Dancing blanket too scarey for my little one.
This was too scarey for my two year old. We only got through 5 minutes. The opening scene has Elmo dancing with and dancing blanket. This freaked out my daughter. She said it was too scarey.
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celinac
parent of 6 and 8 year old
parent of 6 and 8 year old
A fun and moral tale. Entertains both first-time Seasame Street watchers and seasoned veterans.
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Blue-Bunny
teen, 18 years old
teen, 18 years old
Great family movie...
Wow! I'm really impressed. Ordered this through Netflix, and it really had me entertained! It really isn't that scary. The villain is not scary, either. It's a really good movie. Good role-modles, positive messages, and a really good story. If you think this is just a movie for babies, it's not. I think it's great for the family.
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Martian86
teen, 16 years old
teen, 16 years old
Great movie!
I've been watching this movie since it came out on DVD in 1999 (I don't remember if I watched it in the movie theater) and I still love it. I especially love Ernie and Bert's interruptions.
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Annoyedteenguy
adult
adult
Elmo and sesame street friends deliver in this kid friendly adventure
Great movie and nothing wrong at all, so kids dont have anything to worry about.
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Dbai
parent of 4 year old
parent of 4 year old
Love it
Huxley instigated a conversation about how to treat other people, how to be nice, how to share (so he did his job ;-)
Didnt really notice product placement till it was mentioned here and then I picked it out in movie, so not really a concern for us.
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tangled
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
I LOVED this movie when I was little!!! About a year ago I watched it for old time's sake. I forgot how much I loved it. The movie can make toddlers scared, because of Elmo's blanket or because of the villian, but its perfect for toddlers who want a good musical movie.
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mfa
parent of 4 and 6 year old
parent of 4 and 6 year old
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.
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allietron
kid, 13 years old
kid, 13 years old
For everyone
It is an okay movie. I actually like it. The villan is funny, the plot is pretty humorous. I like it and I'm twleve. I think people who haven't seen it thinks it's lame cause they think it is a lot like the show. But it's not. I like it. It is a movie everyone can enjoy.
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Elie
parent of and 1 , 6 , 8 year old
parent of and 1 , 6 , 8 year old
Not for itty-bitties, but Pre-K and Kinders might like it.
This terrified my child when he was 2, and his brother (then 4) was not enthusiastic.
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baseto8
adult
adult
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.
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Peenut2k7
kid, 10 years old
kid, 10 years old
The Helicopter scared me when I was 4
When I was little, I didn't mind the "sad" scene where Elmo loses is "Blankie". It was the Helicopter noises when Huxley flew away with his blankie. That's how I remember it. Looking at it again at age 8/9, it wasn't as scary, and he DOES get it back in the end. For ages 6.
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marceladns
parent of 3 and 6 year old
parent of 3 and 6 year old
Fun and catchy, great teaching moment
I am NOT an Elmo fan, and I avoided him for as long as I could, but when my then 3 y/o daughter discovered him, I had to let go. This movie was actually not as annoying as the TV episodes. Mandy Patinkin is great as the mean Huxley, the music is catchy and the story is interesting enough even for adults. My kids don't have blankies so they weren't terrified but they did understand how mean is not wanting to share your toys. At the end, Elmo gets his blankie back so no harm is done.
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