Director: Josh Gordon, Will Speck
Starring: Javier Bardem, Shawn Mendes, Winslow Fegley, Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy, Brett Gelman
Distributor: Columbia
Runtime: 106 mins. Reviewed in Jan 2023
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc

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Rating notes: Very mild themes and violence, some scenes may scare very young children

Based on the children’s stories, Lyle is a crocodile who sings, lives in an attic in New York City, has stage fright working with a magician, but befriends a family.

A show for the family. Actually, a family show. Dad is a girls high school maths teacher – and champion wrestler from college days (McNairy), Mum is a cook, writer of recipe books (Wu) and Josh is a timid boy who comes out of himself, rather astoundingly (Fegley). Throw in a litigious, grumpy neighbour and his special cat, Loretta and who could ask for anything more? Well, probably, a young daughter to complete the family image – although Josh does have a friend and she comes good to help for the climax.

Most audiences will willingly suspend disbelief about a singing crocodile, sweetly serenading with the voice of Mendes.

And, of course, there is a Lyle. This is a film version of a series of popular children’s novel is written in the 1960s by Bernard Waber.

First, we meet a would-be-successful magician, Hector. And, he is in the surprising form of Bardem, unlike his roles in earlier Spanish dramas and, indeed, the opposite of his Bond villain (Skyfall) and definitely of his Oscar-winning sinister performance in No Country for Old Men. He is better at singing and vaudeville dancing turns than in being a magician.

And then there’s Lyle. Hector, looking for an exotic animal for his act, finds baby crocodile Lyle singing in a cage in the shop. Just the trick – but Lyle get stage fright and the act is an instant flop.

Hector disappears from the story for a while with the Primm family moving to his New York brownstone building (with a large attic now housing a much larger Lyle). Some initial scares but Lyle has a song for everyone, transforms everybody’s lives, of course, and becomes part of the family. But the grouchy neighbour downstairs is still complaining.

Hector reappears and reunites with Lyle. But stage-fright prevails – and Lyle finds himself in a cage with crocodiles of the Zoo. Build up to a lively climax, no spoiler in revealing that Lyle sings again, for a television talent show – and brings the house down. Formerly timid Josh is there on stage urging on Lyle on.

As mentioned, a show for the family (though wondering about the teen audience, but they might identify with Lyle, especially his disruptions).

The composers created the songs for The Greatest Showman. Now, they can add to their credits: The Greatest Showcrocodile.