Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011)
**** (out of 4)
Terrific documentary about Kevin Clash, a poor kid growing up in Baltimore who fell in love with Sesame Street at a young age and soon began making his own puppets. Overtime he started to really get into his own style and then he got the break of a lifetime on a trip to New York when he met Jim Henson. After getting his break and a few failures, Clash hit it big when he created Elmo. BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY is one of the best documentaries in recent times and it's for everyone even if they can't stand the character Elmo. I'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan of Elmo but after watching this film I think I'll reconsider my stance. I was really impressed with the way this documentary talked about the life of Clash and the incredible story of how he got to where he is now. I've read reviews that stated this documentary is for anyone who believes in dreams and I'd have to agree with that. It's rather amazing to hear this guy's story and seeing the way that he went from a nobody to slowly building up his craft and then getting this incredible chance, which he did wonders with. We get to see his original audition tapes, the early work he did and of course the creation of Elmo who originally wasn't a hit on the show until Clash did his magic voice. At just 76-minutes there's certainly nothing boring here as we get interviews with Clash, his family, friends and co-workers. Anyone interested in puppets should certainly check this out but even those non-fans will still be charmed by this film.
**** (out of 4)
Terrific documentary about Kevin Clash, a poor kid growing up in Baltimore who fell in love with Sesame Street at a young age and soon began making his own puppets. Overtime he started to really get into his own style and then he got the break of a lifetime on a trip to New York when he met Jim Henson. After getting his break and a few failures, Clash hit it big when he created Elmo. BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY is one of the best documentaries in recent times and it's for everyone even if they can't stand the character Elmo. I'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan of Elmo but after watching this film I think I'll reconsider my stance. I was really impressed with the way this documentary talked about the life of Clash and the incredible story of how he got to where he is now. I've read reviews that stated this documentary is for anyone who believes in dreams and I'd have to agree with that. It's rather amazing to hear this guy's story and seeing the way that he went from a nobody to slowly building up his craft and then getting this incredible chance, which he did wonders with. We get to see his original audition tapes, the early work he did and of course the creation of Elmo who originally wasn't a hit on the show until Clash did his magic voice. At just 76-minutes there's certainly nothing boring here as we get interviews with Clash, his family, friends and co-workers. Anyone interested in puppets should certainly check this out but even those non-fans will still be charmed by this film.