Highly Overrated But Still Good

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The plot's a little thin, but Elmo's Magic Cookbook doesn't rely on using previously produced clips as much as some Sesame Street straight-to-video releases. Instead, it uses the clips to tie together cooking segments where the kids make some easy food dishes with supervision from a Muppet genie that came from the titular magic cookbook, Alan ('zapped' over from Hooper's Store for his appearance), and the celebrity guests.For the adults, the video has a couple of great running gags and two celebrity appearances -- Emeril Legasse, who makes pizza with the kids and talks about where cheese comes from, and singer Heather Headley, who teaches the kids about pocket foods and makes a summer roll for Elmo to try.