A Child Will Most Likely Smile For 'Lyle Crocodile'
Starring Constance Wu, Javier Bardem, Scoot McNairy, Brett Gelman, Shawn Mendes, Winslow Fegley
Rated PG
Comedy, Animated
Run time: 1 hr, 46 min
Directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck
In theaters October 7, 2022
Is my title unnecessarily cutesy? Maybe. Is it an accurate reflection of the movie? Definitely. I’ll admit that my main draw was getting to hear Shawn Mendes sing, and not the heartwarming tale of an unusual pet and how it can change a family’s life. Shocking, I know. However, I am a sucker for a good cartoon or unique family movie, and this promised to be a bit of both. While it was based on a book, it wasn’t one I knew before viewing, and it wasn’t just yet another Disney claiming that a lot of CGI in a remake qualifies as “live action.” Lyle promised a bit of whimsy, a hint of feels and maybe a banger or two on the soundtrack. It actually did deliver, but something about it fell a little flat.
As the title would indicate, Lyle, Lyle Crocodile is….about a crocodile named Lyle. Once upon a time, a down-on-his-luck magician, Hector Valenti (Bardem), is desperate for a new schtick. One day, in a pet store, he discovers a tiny, singing crocodile (Mendes) and Valenti is convinced - this is how he’ll become a star. He tries to help the little crocodile (since named Lyle) get over stage fright and entertain the masses, but no dice. Valenti leaves, apparently years pass, and a new family, the Primms (Wu, McNairy and Fegley), move in. The son, Josh, discovers what - or who - Valenti left behind: a now full grown crocodile. It doesn’t take long for Josh to befriend the reptile, who cannot speak for some reason - only sing, but the adults may not be quite as on board.
Lyle, both the creature and the movie, are all but sickly sweet. In that respect, it’s definitely a solid kids’ movie - some silly jokes, catchy songs and fun visuals. Maybe it’s just because I don’t have a kid, but it’s brutal watching actors I’ve seen do fantastic work seem so wooden. I’ve seen enough children’s films to know how well they can be done. Javier Bardem made me cringe more often than not, and some things that probably should have felt endearing instead just made me wonder how silly it must have looked when filming. If I did have a family, I would definitely be pushing the soundtrack over the movie for repeated entertainment.
For overwhelming the marketing with singing and Shawn Mendes’ name, there wasn’t as much of his voice as I would have liked. It felt like an odd cop out that he couldn’t speak, though I’m sure it’s a holdover from the book. And with a solid pop star providing the leading singing voice, I expected so many musical moments that it would have set Disney shaking in his boots. Everything about this was sadly just fine. If it had been worse, it could have been even more entertaining for any parents watching it, and if it had been better, it would have stood out among a sea of remakes. It’s to its detriment that it was only okay.