THE ADVENTURES OF ELMO IN GROUCHLAND (1999)

Lovable little red monster Elmo braves smelly, grump-filled Grouchland in order to rescue his blanket from the clutches of the villainous Huxley (Patinkin). Along the way, the ticklish one meets the sultry Queen of Trash (Williams), a giant attack chicken, and a bug with a conscience -- and, with the help of his Sesame Street friends, learns a valuable lesson. ''Elmo shares his blankie,'' a 3-year-old of my acquaintance explained -- no matter that he has no intention of sharing his own blanket. REEL GOODIES (00:01) The first of several times Bert and Ernie interrupt the movie to invite audience participation or ease small viewers through the scary bits. THE LAST DETAIL Elmo's scientific name is Furrius Childus. B+

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