The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland

How fleeting is fame. Big Bird, who received top billing in the first Sesame Street movie, Follow That Bird, is relegated to bit player status in Elmo's inevitable big screen debut. Young fans will be tickled by Elmo as he gets a much-needed lesson in sharing after he refuses to allow his friend Zoe to hold his blanket. When a series of mishaps finds the wayward blanket tossed into Oscar's trashcan, Elmo dives in after it and finds himself deposited in Grouchland, the yuckiest place on earth. Mandy Patinkin hams it up as Grouchland's greediest resident, Huxley, who confiscates the blanket for his very own, and since grouches are not allowed to help anyone, the plucky Elmo must set out on his quest alone. Fortunately, in a move that recalls the interactive Blue's Clues, the onscreen characters solicit audience participation, while Bert and Ernie appear periodically to assure more sensitive viewers that all will end well. Unlike the misfire Muppets in Space, this one boasts delightful original songs. Too, there are easy laughs for children (Huxley lives atop Mount Pick-a-Nose) and sly in-jokes for adults, as when Ernie insists that people don't like movies with unhappy endings. "What about Titanic?" responds Bert. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)