Positive and Negative: Elmo In Grouchland

[Drtooth]

The other Sesame Street characters do next to nothing, and most of the movie is Elmo whining about his blanket, we get forgetable side characters, and the only redeemable performance is Mandy Patinkin. If FTB is The Muppet Movie then EIG is Muppets From Space, just a terrible movie in my opinion, FTB is so much better.

EIG's saving graces are that we actually get to see Elmo do something and emote. I hate how the character was handled as the audience surrogate for years, and how he just smiles and waves in the Elmo's World segments. This was just when those were starting out, so it's at least great to see contrast between the emotionless, Stepford Elmo smiling through all the ways you can teach about feet, and Elmo actually going on an adventure and feeling things. By that level, I think the movie works. As a film about Elmo for the three year olds that love Elmo.

But as a Sesame Street movie, I agree. Other than Big Bird, Oscar, and Telly with Maria and Gordon getting sidetracked trying to find Elmo, the other characters showed up to smile and wave and were gone. Make no mistake, FTB was all about Big Bird, but the other characters at least joined in on the movie as a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World homage. Elmo should have had a travel companion in one of the other established Muppets. If it was about Zoe and Elmo trying to find the blankie and having some sort of argument along the way, leading to the characters bonding, maybe it would have made the movie stronger. Instead it's just what it says it is, an Elmo movie about Elmo with some lame Elmo's World fake interactivity thrown in. MFS was a good movie with a director who ruined it, EIG didn't seem to want to be anything more than it could have been. At least with MFS, you get a good movie about Gonzo.

I know this is from a few years ago, but as a die-hard Thomas fan, and TATMRR being my all-time favorite movie, I felt I ought to stick up for it. I personally liked Mr. Conductor interacting a bit with the audience, made it a little more interesting in my mind.

While I'm someone who likes Thomas as a "I watched it when it started out with Ringo Starr" kind of way, I find the movie insulting. Not because of what it was, but because of what it could have been and how little the film distributor thought of the audience. Cutting out the villain because kids would be too scared? Absolutely outrageous.

 

[mr3urious]

While I'm someone who likes Thomas as a "I watched it when it started out with Ringo Starr" kind of way, I find the movie insulting. Not because of what it was, but because of what it could have been and how little the film distributor thought of the audience. Cutting out the villain because kids would be too scared? Absolutely outrageous.

The plot was all kinds of confusing even for adults, which I blame the severe editing for. Plus, Alec Baldwin was the only human actor to give even a sliver of a crap.

At least Diesel 10 was a pretty fun villain.

 

[Old Thunder]

While I'm someone who likes Thomas as a "I watched it when it started out with Ringo Starr" kind of way, I find the movie insulting. Not because of what it was, but because of what it could have been and how little the film distributor thought of the audience. Cutting out the villain because kids would be too scared? Absolutely outrageous.

I would agree with that; pretty everyone in the Thomas fandom would kill to have TATMRR release how it was originally intended, and the whole movie is far departed from the Reverend's original books, but I still love it. I'm one of those who can overlook the negative things and just love it for what it is.

 

[Muppet Master]

EIG's saving graces are that we actually get to see Elmo do something and emote. I hate how the character was handled as the audience surrogate for years, and how he just smiles and waves in the Elmo's World segments. This was just when those were starting out, so it's at least great to see contrast between the emotionless, Stepford Elmo smiling through all the ways you can teach about feet, and Elmo actually going on an adventure and feeling things. By that level, I think the movie works. As a film about Elmo for the three year olds that love Elmo.

But as a Sesame Street movie, I agree. Other than Big Bird, Oscar, and Telly with Maria and Gordon getting sidetracked trying to find Elmo, the other characters showed up to smile and wave and were gone. Make no mistake, FTB was all about Big Bird, but the other characters at least joined in on the movie as a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World homage. Elmo should have had a travel companion in one of the other established Muppets. If it was about Zoe and Elmo trying to find the blankie and having some sort of argument along the way, leading to the characters bonding, maybe it would have made the movie stronger. Instead it's just what it says it is, an Elmo movie about Elmo with some lame Elmo's World fake interactivity thrown in. MFS was a good movie with a director who ruined it, EIG didn't seem to want to be anything more than it could have been. At least with MFS, you get a good movie about Gonzo.

I guess, but Elmo isn't really entertaining, if they ever do make a Sesame Street movie, I hope they give Elmo the Pepe treatment, and focus on the core characters, but on EIG I agree that having a character with him especially Oscar, would have made for a good budy cop movie, but the movie itself is really nothing special.

 

[Drtooth]

I really blame that on the writing. I feel the same about how Abby is used, but that's another rant as she didn't exist then. There are some Muppets who can carry something special by themselves, and there are those who need to work off of others. Elmo's the latter. Elmo works best with Zoe, and we really should have seen more of that in this movie. When he acts off other characters here, he's fine. When he's talking to the audience, it's flat and didn't even work well on television, let alone a movie. That's why I find ETM vastly superior to EW. If nothing else, at least he has Curtain to talk to. Elmo needed a travel companion here, be it Zoe or Oscar or whoever. The Elmo on his own thing just doesn't work and feels pandering.

That said, FTB doesn't really rely on Nostalgia to try and entertain the parents the way EIG does. That's why the older, non-Elmo characters seem to just be standing there, waving that they still exist. That's clearly for those in the audience that wanted to see Ernie and Bert and Super Grover and Mr. Robinson. They feel unnecessary (but frankly, welcome) in this movie. Whereas the other characters felt more natural in FTB. Maybe Kermit felt a little tacked on as the reporter, but I'm not complaining. EVERYONE in EIG besides the few characters involved felt tacked on.

 

[Dominicboo1]

I know this is from a few years ago, but as a die-hard Thomas fan, and TATMRR being my all-time favorite movie, I felt I ought to stick up for it. I personally liked Mr. Conductor interacting a bit with the audience, made it a little more interesting in my mind.

Won't say much about Elmo In Grouchland, it's been a while since I've seen it, and I can only recall that I liked it back when I watched it.

I don't hate the movie. It was good as a kid I just meant that single element doesn't quite work

 

[Old Thunder]

I don't hate the movie. It was good as a kid I just meant that single element doesn't quite work

Yeah, I knew what you meant.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

I did something really really odd today while I was at the store...





I bought this movie.

 

[Mo Frackle]

I did something really really odd today while I was at the store...





I bought this movie.

Yep, been there. It took a year or two for me to actually unwrap it.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Yeah, it was only like four dollars, so I guess the Muppet collector in me told me "You already own 'Follow That Bird', you have to own both of the Sesame Street movies".

I'll probably never actually watch it, still nice to have on the shelf though.

Meanwhile i'm planning on watching Follow That Bird soon, in honor or Luis, Gordon and Bob.
Although, that's mostly just an excuse to get my family to watch it with me, lol