Film Review: Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

                  Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

Most kids are probably familiar with Bernard Waber’s book series about Lyle, the singing crocodile. Now Sony offers the world a chance to meet the musical reptile on the screen, in a movie about finding your voice and your family. Canadian Shawn Mendes provides Lyle’s beautiful singing voice. 

But first the plot: Most kids like animals, but hardly any bump into a singing crocodile in the attic of the New York City apartment they’ve just moved into with mom and dad. But 8-year-old Josh Primm (Winslow Fegley) does just that. The green critter doesn’t speak but does have a sign around his neck that says “Please take care of him. He is my most prized possession.”

Imagine telling your parents – especially dad, the math teacher (Scoot McNairy) –  about this.

It seems a previous tenant, ebullient vaudevillian Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem) has been trying to make a buck in the acting game, but hasn’t had a lot of success. He has, in fact, gotten himself in debt and now finds it necessary to go on the road in hopes of making a buck. But before he goes, he stumbles into a pet store and finds a cute crocodile named Lyle that (ready for this?) sings. Lyle doesn’t talk, just sings, and only when he feels like it. But Valenti wants to make that work onstage when he gets back from fattening his empty bank account. So he puts Lyle in the attic with tapes, in hopes he’ll practice. But he does have to learn to sing on cue. Mmm-hmm. 

Back to the present. Josh has other problems: getting used to a new school, which for a shy kid is never easy. He drags mom (Constance Wu) on the subway with him that first day, which does not cheer her.

There are other neighbor problems, most especially Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman) and his scowl-faced white Persian cat Loretta. Mr. G thinks Lyle belongs in the zoo. Loretta seems to agree.

There’s nothing new or particularly fascinating about the presentation here: the songs (from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of “Dear Evan Hansen” and “The Greatest Showman” fame) are forgettable as are many of the characters, though all the actors are working hard. Fegley’s Josh and of course Bardem are the real exceptions: Hector is desperate to make a living; Josh desperate to fit in and make friends in this new situation.

“Lyle, Lyle Crocodile” will appeal to kids (at least the kids in our audience), and Bardem will certainly give adults a giggle or two. I enjoyed the film, but didn’t love it.