Directed By Josh Gordon and Will Speck

Starring – Javier Bardem, Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy

The Plot – Based on the popular children’s book of the same name, the film follows the title reptile who lives in a house on East 88th Street in New York City. Lyle (Bardem) enjoys helping the Primm family with everyday chores and playing with the neighborhood kids, but one neighbor insists that Lyle belongs in a zoo. Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman) and his cat, Loretta, do not like crocodiles, and Lyle tries to prove that he is not as bad as others might first think.

Rated PG for mild peril and thematic elements

LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE – Official Trailer (HD) – YouTube

POSITIVES

In one of the downright biggest surprises of the year, “Lyle Lyle Crocodile” is the sweetly uplifting kind of tale that I truly wasn’t expecting in a film about a singing crocodile. It’s a film with an ample amount of heart displayed continuously, not only in the warmth of its titular protagonist, who feels metaphorically rendered as the conscience of childhood, but also in the depths of the screenplay that carries with it a meaningful message and the evolution of a third act that matures the film’s tonal capacities remarkably. Most people don’t look for this kind of thing in a film geared entirely for children, but the innocence among material supplants an endearing experience that takes it completely through a 101-minute run time, all the while cementing something compassionate and soft-spoken for the entire family. Beyond the material itself, the film has a remarkable soundtrack composed by the triumphant duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who transcribed inspiration for the music of “The Greatest Showman”, and here does the same with some of the catchiest tracks that serves as the infectious energy of our titular protagonist. The tracks themselves are emotionally versatile, taking us through a tidal wave of emotions and insightful commentary that serve as the only moments when Lyle audibly communicates with the surrounding characters, and when combined with some tongue-and-cheek selections of pop culture like “Crocodile Rock” by Elton John, or “Sir Duke” from Stevie Wonder, offers the best of both worlds, original or adapted, that prove the duo are anything but one hit wonders. Also prominently displayed are a couple of the performances from this talented ensemble that stand on the right side of the tracks with the justification of their casting. Constance Wu continues to entertain with her combination of warmth and energy for the commitment to cause, proving she took the role seriously regardless of its importance. Likewise, Javier Bardem is the single greatest aspect of this film with scenery-chewing mayhem and endless charisma that makes the most of his unfortunately limited minutes, with the kind of portrayal that provides proof in the pudding for his unshakeable depth as a commanding presence on screen, regardless of genre. Finally, and most importantly to the investment, the special effects in computer generation are surprisingly spectacular, feeling leaps and bounds ahead of the marketing trailers that made Lyle’s design initially feel so wooden. What works is the deeply emotive expressions in both the eyes and mouth of the amphibian, affording us insight into his many feelings that more ambitious animated properties should take notice of, but also the kind of heft and influence in the direction of Gordon and Speck, which make him feel like a tangible influence on the scenes and sequences he adorns. Making a crocodile essentially move like a human being is never an easy feat to pull off, but the special effects team takes great time and detail towards properly fleshing him out, in turn leaving much of our imagination behind with our preconceived prejudice of what a film like this can capably pull off.

NEGATIVES

Though this film is better than initially expected, it’s not one without serious faults that keep it from reaching its proper pitch. Considering this movie is about a singing crocodile, it feels a bit ridiculous to complain about logic, but taking into account that it’s the rules that the film defines on its own merits, it can’t even follow through honestly enough on those terms and conditions for believability. Part of the problem is the reactions of the environment, with a majority of characters treating a walking, singing crocodile as just another day in New York, but the bigger deduction stems from the lack of stakes and circumstances to instances that could even be considered terrorism that its characters elude themselves from. It’s that kind of film we’ve seen before, where law and order essentially doesn’t exist, and the characters rid themselves of consequences in the name of love, friendship and music that serves as the universal language and currency for its dumbed-down civilization. Speaking of familiar instances, the structure of the screenplay is as basic as it is underwhelming, borrowing from literally every single children’s film involving an abnormal species that it can shoehorn into one heavily predictable narrative. Family moves to new town? CHECK, kid is an outcast at school? CHECK, animal helps kid find the courage to find his own internal voice and external happiness. CHECK, Annoying neighbor serving as a Karen or Karl to the protagonist’s good times? CHECK. Everything coincides exactly the way you would expect, with no shortage of convenience or aforementioned contrivances to its cause, serving as the emphasis to its mediocrity that it conjures in spades. The humor is also flatly materialized, with a combination of bodily humor and quirky sound deposits that not only saturate some of the heartfelt sentiment that I previously commended, but also feels so forceful and unnecessary based on the abruptness of its various deliveries. It’s the weakest kind of kid material that a film uses when it doesn’t have faith in the intelligence of its targeted demographic, and in only eliciting two pity laughs from me in the entire duration, proves that the film would’ve been better suited remaining faithful to the heartier side of its creativity.

OVERALL
“Lyle Lyle Crocodile” is a soulfully warm-hearted splendor of a surprise that offers something endearing for every member of the family. With addictively original songs, uplifting tenderness, and seamless computer-generated effects work, the film transcribes enough of a good time to overcome the burdens of its disappointing hinderances, in turn solidifying an engagement that is chock full of crock, but in the best ways possible.

My Grade: 6/10 or C+