The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland

Elmo, that pilly red urchin with the insatiable tickle fetish, loves his blanket. So much so that when the blue, satin-trimmed coverlet flies off into a garbage-strewn, fetid netherworld called Grouchland, the little naïf rushes headlong to rescue it. Obstacles abound, however, in the form of a greedy villain (a delightfully dastardly Mandy Patinkin), who appears not only to have filched Elmo's blankie but also Martin Scorsese's eyebrows.

Joined by fellow Sesame Street denizens Big Bird, Oscar, and the requisite tuneful, high-serotonin grown-ups, Elmo (voiced by Kevin Clash) learns much about perseverance, bravery, and sharing. It's unfortunate, though, that he doesn't learn some pronouns: his habit of referring to himself in the third person gets cloying fast. Quibbling aside, Gary Halvorson's interactive film strikes a pleasing balance of self-reflexive irreverence (there are passing jabs at Starbucks, Doctor Zhivago, and Sharon Stone) and inspired whimsy that's shown to best advantage in the lesson-laced musical numbers. Elmo and his trusty blanket, it seems, have everything covered.

-- Alicia Potter