The title character of “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” may be a coldblooded reptile — in this case, one who sings — but never you worry: This family flick delivers enough pulse-quickening earworms and warmth to melt even the iciest of hearts.
When the Primm family moves to New York City, their young son, Josh, struggles to adapt to his new school and friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle, a singing crocodile that loves baths, caviar and great music. The two become fast friends, but when evil neighbor Mr. Grumps threatens Lyle’s existence, the Primms must band together to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places.
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‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’ Review: Shawn Mendes, Constance Wu and Javier Bardem in a Family-Friendly Flick That Gets the Job Done
The story involves a married couple, the Primms (Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy), who move to New York City despite the fact that their young son Josh (13-year-old Winslow Fegley, already a pro) is terrified of the dangers of urban living (he seems the sanest character in the film). They live in the sort of magnificent, real-estate-porn brownstone that those unfamiliar with reality assume every New York family inhabits. It’s there that Josh discovers Lyle, living contentedly alone in their attic after having been temporarily left there by his owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem), a sleazy, fast-talking entertainer who grandiosely describes himself to everyone he encounters as a “star of stage and screen.”
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‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’ will melt even the most coldblooded heart
Not that Lyle himself, voiced by pop star Shawn Mendes in this blend of live action and computer animation, is anything but lovable. Following the child-befriends-a-misunderstood-monster paradigm of “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” and “The Iron Giant,” “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” takes the bite out of its razor-toothed hero by imbuing him with expressive eyes, a sheepish demeanor and Mendes’s silky tenor.
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Shawn Mendes and Javier Bardem Explain Why ‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’ Is More Than ‘Just a Kids’ Movie’
Javier Bardem, who can’t wait for Mendes to pursue live-action acting, plays the foil to Lyle (and others like uptight neighbor Mr. Grumps, who is portrayed by Brett Gelman) with his chaotic charisma and showman-esque way of going about life. Bardem, who recently portrayed larger-than-life personality Desi Arnaz in “Being the Ricardos,” describes finding the outrageous look of his character Hector P. Valenti as a collaboration of many minds.
“It was on the page, but also I talked to Josh [Gordon] and Will [Speck] the directors and we found this look that will make sense and will match the fun and the way he is and the way he behaves and the way he sells himself,” Bardem said. “And also the many things he hides and the amazing work of wardrobe and makeup and the hair. They really create this magic and when they come together ‘boom’, it happens. This is the work of many people at the same time.”
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"Along the way, Speck and Gordon show off some filmmaking style, weaving the camera through Manhattan’s streets with whiz-bang proficiency. The directors also keep the laughs coming, thanks in no small part to Mr. Grumps’s fussy cat, a CGI creation that scratches the itch for silly sight gags. And they nod to the source material by having Wu’s character sketch Lyle in Waber’s illustration style. For the most part, though, the filmmakers succeed not by imitating, but by creating something entirely their own."
"The star of this family adventure is meant to be an eight-foot CGI singing crocodile called Lyle (voiced by Canadian pop star Shawn Mendes). But then along comes Javier Bardem with a thinning comb-over and a moustache to rival Hercule Poirot; giving another lip-smackingly juicy performance, Bardem marches away with the film as flamboyant failed showman Hector P Valenti."
"The song, “Take a Look at Us Now,” was composed by the songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who also wrote songs for the 2017 musical “The Greatest Showman.” Like that film, “Lyle” has a brisk, whimsical momentum that is utterly infectious in the early going."
