Review | Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile movie review: Shawn Mendes joins Constance Wu and Javier Bardem as a singing croc in comedy musical
- Javier Bardem plays showman Hector P Valenti, who discovers a shy, awkward singing crocodile, played by Shawn Mendes
- Winslow Fegley is an introverted young boy with an overbearing stepmother (Constance Wu) who befriends the crocodile
3/5 stars
While a far cry from the giddy heights of Paddington, there is a certain innate charm to Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile that elevates it above the remarkably similar Clifford the Big Red Dog, and should find favour with younger audiences.
Adapted from Bernard Waber’s popular 1960s children’s books, it tells the story of a highly strung, slightly fractured family, the Primms, who move into an old Manhattan brownstone only to discover a singing crocodile living in their attic.
Canadian pop sensation Shawn Mendes lends his dulcet tones to the crooning croc, which may also help expand the appeal of this straightforward, yet effective family-friendly folly.
The hows and the whys behind the anthropomorphic reptile’s ability to sing – but not speak – go largely unaddressed. When he is discovered – much like Gizmo, the mogwai from Gremlins – in an exotic-pet store by desperate showman Hector P Valenti (Javier Bardem), Lyle can already carry a tune.
Valenti takes him home and trains him in a show-stopping routine that is sure to bring the house down. But when Lyle is struck down by crippling stage fright, Valenti loses everything, and abandons his protégé.