Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Review

Based on a children’s book by Bernard Waber, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a CGI/live-action hybrid and a family-friendly musical.

Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem) is a performer and dreamer who adopts a remarkable baby crocodile that can sing. However, when it comes to the time to perform Lyle the Crocodile (Shawn Mendes) gets stage fright and Hector loses his Victorian townhouse.

18 months after the performance the Primm family move to the townhouse. Josh (Winslow Fegley) discovers Lyle is still living in the house and befriends the musical animal. Josh must prove to his parents that Lyle is not dangerous by using Lyle’s singing ability.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is the latest film that wants to capitalise on the success of the Paddington film series. The first Paddington film was a surprise hit and aimed to be a heartwarming family film with a positive message. In the Paddington films the titular bear made things better for the people around him, whether it’s the Browns, the residents of Windsor Gardens, or the inmates at the prison. Lyle the Crocodile played a similar role to the Primms because the family improved throughout the film and they grow in confidence due to the croc.

This Paddington formula has been used by other films, i.e. Clifford the Big Red Dog and Mrs. Harris Goes to Harris. All these films focused on a person or creature who has positive energy to them. Clifford made things better for Emily Elizabeth and her uncle, and Mrs. Harris improved things for her clients and the employees at Christian Dior. Lyle was able to help Josh to get over his neurosis, make Mrs. Primm (Constance Wu) less uptight, and gets Mr. Primm (Scoot McNairy) to be able to command a classroom.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’s unique selling point was being a musical. The filmmakers made sure they put themselves in the best position possible. Shawn Mendes is a major pop star and the original songs are written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Pasek and Paul are known for writing the music for La La Land and The Greatest Showman and they acted as executive producers as well as songwriters on Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. The opening performance of “Take a Look at Us Now” was the best song in the film as it was a big song and dance number. The directors seemed like they were influenced by The Greatest Showman for that sequence.

The directors for the film were Will Speck and Josh Gordon. Their previous films have been adult-ordinated comedies like Blades of Glory and Office Christmas Party. They used that experience for Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile since it was a genuinely funny film. I chuckled quite a few times. Some of my favourite moments were when Mrs. Primm discovered Josh and Lyle together for the first time, and Mr. Primm wrestling with the croc. There were some toilet and frat jokes but it was aimed at children these were few and far between.

The screenplay was a predictable affair. The characters had standard arcs because The Primms needed to learn to be less uptight and Lyle had to overcome his stage fright. The conclusion to some plot points could be seen from miles away. Yet the filmmakers were able to make this formulaic approach work because there was an investment in the characters, particularly the relationship between Josh, Mrs. Primm, and Lyle. A child in the audience I was with was invested because they clapped during the triumphant climax.

If compared to similar films, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’s plotting was lackadaisical. There seemed to be a lack of urgency among the characters. This was highlighted when Josh, Mrs. Primm, Hector, and Lyle dressed in Gators sport paraphrenia, so they could go around New York to do some sightseeing and have family time. It led to the question, what did this have to do with the plot?

If I wanted to be nit-picky there was an inconsistency in how the public reacted to Lyle. Some were casual about a crocodile walking around and laughed at Lyle for his inability to perform, to more realistic reactions of terror. But this was a minor concern. The most unrealistic aspect of the film was a family of three having a whole townhouse to themselves in Manhattan.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile was a likeable film for the whole family. It was a sweet musical that was a wholesome piece of entertainment.