If the Paddington movies proved anything, it’s that building a whimsical four-quadrant family comedy around an adorable CGI animal is money in the bank, baby, especially if the aforementioned critter has some kind of literary heritage. Here to prove that theory is whimsical four-quadrant family comedy Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, which is swimming and singing its way into cinemas on December 26, making it perfect Boxing Day viewing for familial types.
Adapted from author Bernard Waber’s children’s book of the same name (and its precursor, The House on East 88th Street) by William Davies and directed by the Hit-Monkey and Blades of Glory filmmaking team of Will Speck and Josh Gordon, the film centres on the titular croc, who has a beautiful singing voice but suffers from stage fright (we’re getting notes of the Warner Brothers cartoon classic, “One Froggy Evening”).
Abandoned by his owner, wannabe stage magician Hector P. Valenti (an incredibly game Javier Bardem), he is discovered and adopted by the Primm family: young kid Josh (Winslow Fegley) and his parents (Constance Wu and Scoot McNairy). But a full-grown crocodile living in New York City is cause for alarm, and the Primms and Valenti soon find themselves fighting for Lyle’s freedom.
It’s all very silly and a lot of fun, with Canadian songster Shawn Mendes providing Lyle’s singing voice and everyone involved fully understanding the assignment—all other considerations aside, Oscar-winner Javier Bardem’s commitment to the bit and willingness to not let something so ephemeral as dignity get in the way of a good time must be seen to be believed.
This time of year, the biggest challenge for family film-goers is finding a movie at the local multiplex that’ll appeal to every age bracket—Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile fits the bill perfectly, and you’ll find yourself humming along to its earworms before too long.
