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.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Over-sentimental. The shmaltzy background music is loud, obtrusive and ceaseless. Pity because even though I never watched Sesame Street I love some aspects of fantasy and as a former teacher I am interested in the educational side of the TV program. This doco is for fans of Sesame Street only because as a stand-alone documentary it doesn't make it. You won't see much actual footage from the show however. I could only watch until the second tour to China. Makes me want to find out more about Jim Henson actually. I hope Caroll and his wife got to tick Paul McCartney off their bucket list!

This documentary weaves a fascinating story and is filled with warmth, humor, some tragedy, and a real sense of genuineness. It focuses on the life and career of Caroll Spinney, who for over 40 years, has been the man in the giant feathered yellow costume of the iconic character Big Bird. Surprisingly, at least to me, Spinney is also the muppeteer who is behind the wonderful presence of Oscar the Grouch, on Sesame Street of course.The film traces Spinney's life back to his difficult early years, how he, by chance, met the late Jim Henson at a puppet festival and was hired for the show. Spinney really struggled at first and nearly quit, but got the idea of making Big Bird's character child-like and it was perfect for its presentation. There's lots of behind-the-scenes insights into the Sesame Street shows and the cast as well.All in all, I enjoyed this documentary, directed by Lave LaMattina and Chad N. Walker, from start to finish, and thought it was one of the better ones I've seen in a while.

Sesame Street was an integral part of my childhood. Sure, I had Mr Rogers, Sharon Lois & Bram, and Mr. Dress-Up too, but Sesame Street was by far my favourite show. I remember rushing downstairs in the morning to watch Big Bird and all his pals have fun, I remember begging my parents to buy me an stuffed Elmo doll, hell I even remember my parents rummaging through my aunt and uncle's attic to find VHS tapes of when they had taped Sesame Street off the TV for my cousins when they were kids back in the 80s. I was a nut.This documentary is based around the life of Caroll Spinney, the man who plays Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street. It not only does a fascinating job of chronicling his life as an actor, but the discourse pertaining to his philosophy on life, and how he translated that into the Big Bird who we all know and love. We get to know Big Bird like never before, on the part of Caroll Spinney as himself, Caroll Spinney as an actor and Caroll Spinney as Big Bird. It's wrapped in these fantastic layers that might seem daunting in text, but when the movie is over with, you go "My god, that makes perfect sense!". It showcases how Spinney really is one of our most remarkable and unseen actors of our age, and how delicate (metaphorically, of course, playing Big Bird as a puppeteer is a task and a half) his performance has been on to generation after generation of kids.The movie also goes into detail on the journeys that both Big Bird and Spinney have had in their life - such as being the first Western pop culture (with Bob Hope) to venture into China after it opened it's doors, becoming a household name in America, and, one of the biggest shocks and surprises, nearly taking part with the crew on the NASA Challenger spaceship, which of course exploded a minute after launch, killing all on-board.This movie is why I love being immersed in pop culture. There's a lot of people who have told me over the years that it's a bad thing to be surrounded by commercial products, but this movie packs a punch in that it personally warps me back to a simpler time, a time when my bestest friend was Big Bird and he taught me how to love the world.Sure, I Am Big Bird has it's flaws. I would have liked for it to go deeper into the darker parts of some of the times of Caroll Spinney's life, but in the end I think that it would detract from the overall magic of the movie. I Am Big Bird is a heartwarming documentary for fans of puppeteering, but at it's core, an even warmer story for us who grew up with that lovable yellow bird.

The Plot.Think you know everything there is to know about Sesame Street? You don't. You might know that Frank Oz turned down an offer to play Big Bird, but you probably don't know that until a last minute change of heart by NASA, Big Bird was supposed to go to space aboard the Challenger. Or you may know that Oscar the Grouch got his voice from a cantankerous cabbie, but you'd be surprised to learn that a fire in his trash can almost led to Caroll's untimely demise. Caroll's stories are the stuff of legend. He has been a constant presence in our lives for over 40 years, his path weaving through American history like that of Forrest Gump. His time inside the Bird has taught him about the world and about himself. I AM BIG BIRD will peel away the instances in Caroll's life that inspired his creation of characters that influenced generations of children. And, as the yellow feathers give way to gray hair, it is the man, not the puppet, who will steal your heart.Really? Who would be interested in this garbage?The music is pathetic too. Who on earth put up a hundred grand to make this trite crapola?Everyone n the ovie jumps on the accolades wagon and it's absolutely silly. The guy did the animation for Bozo. They show it and it's the worst animation you'll ever see but they make it sound like he's Orson Welles!And besides all of this...the muppets are so yesterday and Sesame me Street hasn't been watched since 1980. It's the worst show on TV and they hire pedophiles!UGH