Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Movie Review: Bringing on the smiles… eventually!

A still from Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Cast: Javier Bardem, Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy, Shawn Mendes, Winslow Fegley, Brett Gelman
Directors: Josh Gordon, Will Speck
Rating: 3/5

Bernard Waber's children's book of the same name, first published in 1965 gets a cinematic, musical live-action animation adaptation, and it's a smartly targeted offering. This was in fact Lyle's second literary venture showcasing the misadventures of the eponymous creature who wants to spread joy but is inadvertently screeched off as a man-eater. Screenwriter Will Davies' adaptation focuses mainly on making this a family film while echoing the essence of the books. And that's a positive for a film that veers into song and dance at the merest hint of tedium.

It's pretty hard not to fall for the scaly, CGI, titular, croc who cannot speak but sings in the divine voice of hugely popular singer Shawn Mendes. Mendes' toe-tapping melodies propel this musical straight to our hearts. And this…in spite of being a delayed bloomer.

The narrative takes a long time to set up the entertainment. A down-on-his-luck showman, Hector P Valenti (Bardem), finds what he hopes is a lifeline when he meets a young singing Lyle in the back of a pet shop while looking for a new act. The always hopeful dreamer, Valenti, does not count on Lyle suffering from stage fright. So, with debtors queuing up to ruin him, Valenti is forced to go on the road in search of greener pastures while leaving his charge in the attic at his former New York apartment. Several years later the Primms; Father is a teacher (McNairy), the mother is a former chef and cookbook writer currently on a sabbatical (Wu), and the son is a socially awkward, nervy, asthmatic, friendless Josh (Fegley), move in. That's when the fun really begins.

The developing connection between Josh and Lyle and the grins that Lyle's antics eventually bring into the Primms' lives are what make Lyle's coming-of-age story, an experience worth remembering. The clichéd story beats are expected so there's no use crying hoarse about that. The songs and the brief energetic springs into dance, lend the narrative a lightness and affectation that is fairly humorous and heart-warming. The CGI work is fairly good and Bardem's take on Valenti is personality-driven, but likable nevertheless. This kind of treatment doesn't truly do justice to the characters but it manages to do the job of bringing on the smiles, quite effectively at that!