'Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile' Review: A Warm-Hearted Romp About a Cold-Blooded Crooner
In 1962, Bernard Waber released a children’s picture book called The House on East 88th Street. It followed a New York family who discover that a crocodile is living in their home, and then adopt him as their newest family member. Over the next five decades, Waber returned to his scaly creation, releasing the tenth and last ‘Lyle’ story just a year before his death in 2013. Finally, Lyle has gotten a big film adaptation of his own, and it’s a musical to boot.
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile opens up with an eccentric showman named Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem), down on his luck as he struggles to find a successful act. By accident, he comes across Lyle, a baby crocodile in an exotic animal pet shop. Although Lyle can’t speak, he can sing (with the voice of Shawn Mendes, no less). Delighted, Valenti adopts the little reptile and eagerly prepares an act which will put them on the map. When things don’t go the way Valenti expected, he skips town ahead of debt collectors, leaving Lyle behind in the attic of Valenti’s house. Eighteen months later, the Primm family moves in: math teacher Joseph (Scoot McNairy), culinary artist Katie (Constance Wu), and young neurotic Josh (Winslow Fegley). We also get the unbearably petty - and well named - neighbour Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman), Josh’s classmate Kara (Lyric Hurd), and Mr. Grumps’ pampered cat to round out the main cast.
For a family picture that’s less than two hours long, there is a lot to talk about when it comes to the plot of Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. Written by Will Davies, the screenplay moves at almost breakneck speed through a plot which could have covered at least three films. One of the main plotlines is Lyle’s bond with Mr. Valenti, and it’s a surprisingly three-dimensional relationship. A lesser film would have had Valenti merely be a clown who spews empty platitudes meant to be life lessons, or perhaps a frustrated doormat of a caretaker, or a temperamental bully twirling his moustache. Instead, Valenti is allowed to be a complicated figure who plays a key role throughout the story in different ways. Bardem throws everything into his performance, cheerfully chewing scenery while also bringing real depth to a character which could have easily had none. Rare in family films, Bardem is allowed to be both cartoonish and yet still carry some level of pathos.
The film also builds up Lyle’s relationship with each of the three Primms. Josh, Katie, and Joseph all realise for themselves that this crocodile is not merely an accomplished singer. Lyle is also a goodhearted and deeply empathetic individual. Each of the Primms has their own problems or personal conflicts which leave them unhappy. Through his silent understanding of their problems, and his willingness to engage them on their own grounds, Lyle manages to reach them all. He teaches Josh not to be so scared and uncertain, he encourages Katie to think outside the box, and reminds Joseph of the confident champion that he used to be. In turn, the family provides Lyle with love and affection, the only things that he’s ever wanted in his life.
Of course, it is also worth mentioning that the film goes about this in a very simple and formulaic way. While the protagonists have some level of depth to them, the villainous Mr. Grumps is about as one-note as you can possibly get . This is a classic example of a story which you’ve probably seen a dozen times before. Not that originality is the only factor in a film’s quality, to be clear.
Now would be a good time to address the musical part of Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. The people behind the soundtrack include Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the Oscar winners behind La La Land and The Greatest Showman. The songs are sung mostly by Mendes, along with several of the main characters (primarily the characters played by Wu and Bardem). For my part, I couldn’t tell whether Bardem and Wu actually sung their parts or whether they were dubbed. And as for Mendes, your enjoyment of the music will depend on how you feel about Mendes’ musical ability.
It would be stating the obvious to say that Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile demands that its audience suspends a lot of disbelief. That’s true of most family pictures which strive to be a high concept musical. Whether you’re willing to do that is up to you, but there is certainly no reason to keep your kids away from this film. The people who made this film embrace all the silliness of the story, without any shame or lack of conviction. Whatever you say about the Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, but you cannot deny that the passion is present.