The film is based on Bernard Waber’s beloved children’s book from 1965; and even though its subject matter is from decades ago, the film showcases themes that are very relevant in today’s society such as combatting stage fright, friendship, and family.
Javier Bardem and Shawn Mendes Make a Good Pair
The story begins with Javier Bardem’s character Hector P. Valenti who is a struggling family entertainer. Off the back of a once-again disastrous performance, Hector realizes the audience wants something unique and different. That’s when he meets Lyle at an exotic pet store. Lyle (voiced by Shawn Mendes) is a singing crocodile who has the voice of an angel and can only convey his emotions by singing. Hector immediately snaps Lyle up and creates a whole show around him singing, in order to bring in money. However, it doesn’t work for long as when you put Lyle in front of a crowd he suffers from stage fright—which therefore is another unsuccessful endeavor for Hector. In order to avoid his debts, he escapes New York and leaves Lyle in his apartment with an MP3 player loaded up with his favorite songs.
The film then jumps to the present day where a family moves into the New York City apartment where Lyle is living in the attic. The parents (played by Constance Wu and Scott McNairy) and then their child (played by Winslow Fegley) all have their own anxieties about moving from a small town to a big city. However, once they encounter Lyle and discover that he is friendly and not going to eat them, he helps the family through his singing. He gives the boy a friend in the city and the mum—who is a stay-at-home mum—a new lease of life to explore her past career in baking.
A Fun Film with Heartwarming Messages
The cast works well together and is very convincing at acting with a six-foot singing crocodile, who is obviously created by the magic of computers. The main attraction of the cast is Oscar Winner Javier Bardem, who is mostly known for his dramatic work; it is a welcome surprise to see him in this heartwarming family film. Overall, the film delivers on being a great time for all at the cinema and does showcase some poignant messages about being who you are and not judging a book by its cover.
Currently, “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile” is only available to watch in theaters.
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