Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Constance Wu, Winslow Fegley, and Javier Bardem star in LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE. (Photo: Sony Pictures)
There’s never been a less intimidating member of its species than Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, a singing and dancing reptile who by default is the most believable and sympathetic character in his eponymous new movie.
Despite an appealing cast and an agreeable pace, this lackluster live-action adaptation of the children’s book series by Bernard Waber surrounds its charismatic scaly hero with woefully bland and stereotypical humans who aren’t charming or amusing, and don’t deserve to share his spotlight.
When we first meet Lyle, he’s only a baby yet already belting out an a cappella version of Pete Rodriguez’s “I Like It Like That” from a cage in the back of a pet store.
That’s where he’s discovered by Hector (Javier Bardem), a fledgling magician looking to revive his stage act. An anthropomorphic crocodile — who can sing but can’t talk — could do the trick, except he discovers Lyle also has a paralyzing sense of stage fright.
So when Hector leaves his New York loft, Lyle (voiced by Shawn Mendes) stays behind in the attic, where he’s later befriended by nerdy teenager Josh (Winslow Fegley), who has just moved to the city and is struggling to make friends.
His parents (Scoot McNairy and Constance Wu) are understandably apprehensive at first, but a bigger arises comes when Hector returns, desperate for one more shot at fame and fortune with his old sidekick.
Oscar-winner Bardem looks like he’s auditioning for a Gallagher biopic, with his manic expressions and frilly wig. You can appreciate his effort to play against type, but the flamboyant over-the-top shtick grows tiresome here.
The directing tandem of Will Speck and Josh Gordon (Blades of Glory) incorporates some seamless visual effects, which is noteworthy when trying to capture the elongated mouth movements of a crocodile.
Meanwhile, the formulaic screenplay by Will Davies (How to Train Your Dragon) emphasizes broad slapstick and low-brow gags while it indulges familiar coming-of-age themes such as self-esteem and fitting in.
The less discriminating target demographic might appreciate the animal antics without worrying about the logical gaps or heavy-handed cliches. The brisk musical numbers from the team of Pasek and Paul (Dear Evan Hansen) aren’t especially memorable.
Unlike its title character, the film is hardly a showstopper, only sparking to life when Lyle takes center stage. Otherwise, it’s just a croc.
Rated PG, 106 minutes.