‘Lyle, Lyle’ warm-hearted family fun

The first family flick of the fall season is playing at the Dietrich for the whole family to enjoy. ‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’ is a film adaptation of the children’s story of the same name.

When the Primm family moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his new school and make new friends.

All of that changes when he discovers Lyle — a singing crocodile who loves baths, caviar and great music — living in the attic of his new home.

The two become fast friends, but when Lyle’s existence is threatened by evil neighbor Mr. Grumps, the Primm’s must band together with Lyle’s charismatic owner, Hector P. Valenti, to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places and there’s nothing wrong with a big singing crocodile with an even bigger personality. ‘Lyle, Lyle Crocodile’ is a sweet little family feature that is a must-see for the entire family. The family flick delivers a lot of humorous moments, a bit of emotion and some great, catchy music.

‘Lyle’ features a lot of fun moments that will make both children and their parents burst out with laughter and keep you majorly entertained. There are also quite a few cute, endearing scenes that everyone will like — especially when Lyle and Josh’s friendship begins to grow.

Singer Shawn Mendes does a great job providing the voice for the title character and Javier Bardem knocks it out of the part as Lyle’s charismatic owner. After seeing him in several serious roles, it’s actually good to see the acclaimed actor let loose in a children’s family movie.

The music that is heard throughout the movie is catchy and the musical numbers that are shown will easily keep you amused. I could tell that the kids really enjoyed this movie and this is something that is perfect for the whole family.

Overall, ‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’ is great family fun and is a great pick for a family movie night. Featuring great music and lots of fun, ‘Lyle’ will keep everyone entertained and leave the theater with a smile. So, come on down to the Dietrich and don’t miss this awesome family flick.

The cast: Constance Wu as Mrs. Primm; Scoot McNairy as Mr. Primm; Winslow Finley as Josh Primm; Brett Gelman as Mr. Grumps; Lyric Hurd as Kara Delany; Javier Bardem as Hector P. Valenti and Shawn Mendes as the voice of Lyle.

‘Lyle, Lyle Crocodile’ is written by Will Davies (Johnny English Reborn; Puss in Boots) and directed by duo Josh Gordon and Will Speck (both of them also directed Office Christmas Party and Blades of Glory). ‘Lyle’ is a feature film adaptation of the popular 1965 children’s book of the same name. It was previously adapted as an animated HBO special, which was also a musical.

‘Lyle’ is rated PG for mild peril and thematic elements and has a running time of 106 minutes.

What did you think of the latest family movie? Let me know on my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews Facebook page.

https://youtu.be/kSHecHtkXAc