“Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” is a very interesting live-action movie to say the least. A musical about a crocodile who can sing seemed, at first glance, bland and two-dimensional, but this movie was definitely better than I expected. Making the plot more simplistic gave the film more room to grow. With the movie being heartwarming and wholesome, “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” is a perfect movie to bring a younger sibling to.

The movie starts in New York with a magician Hector Valentini (Javier Bardem) discovering a singing baby crocodile in the back of a pet store. The two quickly become friends, but eventually get separated, leaving Lyle (Shawn Mendes) stuck in an apartment attic. When Josh Primm (Winslow Fegley) and his family move into the apartment and find Lyle in the attic, Lyle befriends all of them through song. As they dodge the likes of nosy neighbors and animal control, Lyle and the family embark on an exciting journey.

What stands out most is hearing a singer like Shawn Mendes play an animated crocodile. Though it may steer some away initially, it turns out that the way the directors used Shawn Mendes in the movie makes it a great pick for young kids. They made him just sing instead of full-fledged acting. The songs Shawn Mendes performs will also be stuck in your brain for the next week. They brought the children’s book to life. But what I love most about the movie is how heartwarming and wholesome it is. Throughout the twists and turns, it left me with a good feeling, despite some minor cringey moments that took me out of the movie — sometimes there will be cringy jokes or noticeable plot holes.

Character development is done well in “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.” Initially, Josh was scared of the new city and making friends, but being friends with Lyle helped him come out of his shell. Josh’s father was struggling with teaching new students and keeping his class together. But when he met Lyle, Josh’s father brought out his old self, showed more tough love, and kept his class in check. Josh’s stepmother had a lot of anxiety moving to the new city, but by the end she was comfortable with Josh being in school and more happy when Lyle came into her life. Lyle was shy and scared on stage, but by meeting the family, Lyle lost his stage fright. Hector Valentini was a greedy magician who only cared about money and fame but later learned there are more important things in life.

Overall, “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” is a below average movie. I was pleasantly surprised by it surpassing my expectations, but my expectations were not very high to begin with. Even though it did okay in my eyes, it’s not a great quality movie. Nothing about the movie would make a mature audience want to watch it. It’s one of those movies that is a one-time watch. With that being said, it definitely deserves more credit than it gets. Through the twists and turns, some simple enjoyment and the characters’ changes throughout the story, even though it isn’t the best movie it is definitely worth a watch. This isn’t a movie for all audiences, but it delivers for the intended audience. After this movie we will all look at crocodiles differently.

‘Lyle Lyle Crocodile:’ ★★★☆☆