The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
age 3+
Sesame Street fans will love this sweet movie.
- Rated: G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Release Year: 1999
- Running Time: 73 minutes
What parents need to know
Educational value
Positive role models
Violence & scariness
Sexy stuff
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
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.
User reviews
Parents say
Kids say
What's the story?
In this Sesame Street adventure, Elmo's favorite friend, his beloved blanket, is tossed into Oscar's trash can. Elmo (Kevin Clash) 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?
QUALITY
Sesame Street fans will love THE ADVENTURES OF ELMO IN GROUCHLAND, which has all of the wonderful Sesame Street trademarks. There are subtle puns for parents, delightful silliness for 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 (Carroll Spinney) admits that Elmo is his friend. And during 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 and the audience -- who are invited to participate in the movie at crucial moments.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about their own "special" toys and other transition objects. Why is it sometimes hard to share?
What do the characters learn during the movie? What makes a Grouch a Grouch? (It can be a lot of fun to spend a couple of hours pretending the whole family is in Grouchland!)
Movie details
| Theatrical release date: | October 1, 1999 |
| DVD/Streaming release date: | December 21, 1999 |
| Cast: | Kevin Clash, Mandy Patinkin, Vanessa Williams |
| Director: | Gary Halvorson |
| Studio: | Columbia Tristar |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Topics: | Adventures, Puppets |
| Character strengths: | Teamwork |
| Run time: | 73 minutes |
| MPAA rating: | G |
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
Great handpicked alternatives
Abby chases a red rabbit into a fun fairy tale for all ages.
age 3+
For kids who love Sesame Street
Browse more movies
Top advice and articles
What parents and kids say
Share your thoughts with other parents and kids Write a user review
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines
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.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Was this review useful?
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.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Was this review useful?
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.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Was this review useful?
