Hey parents, good news, there’s a new movie that I’m sure you’ll have to watch over and over with your kids! Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it seems. Lyle Lyle Crocodile hits theaters this weekend and it’s definitely an interesting film for kids. Yes, this is a kid’s film and certainly knows its audience! Now, I wasn’t completely disappointed by the movie, but I know what it is and even though I’m not a parent, I know I’ll have to watch this with my niece and nephews at least a few times. That’s okay. It’s not a horrible movie and has a great cast. Unfortunately, we can’t always say that about kids’ movies and that’s where it can become mind-numbing for parents who have to watch movies over and over.

The film is about a talking crocodile who speaks through music. His only way to communicate is by singing and he has a fantastic voice. The character is voiced by the multi-talented Shawn Mendes. When a down-on-his-luck performer trying to make it big discovers the crocodile, he sees it as his big ticket to fame, but doesn’t understand that Lyle suffers from stage fright and even though he enjoys singing, the only thing he really wants in the world as a friend. The performer is played by the brilliant Javier Bardem. This is an interesting role for him because we’re used to seeing him play great villains. He was one of the best Bond villains ever. However, he’s also done romantic comedies and he was great as Desi Arnaz in the I Love Lucy movie with Nicole Kidman. He truly shines in this movie as The Lovable villain who is well-intentioned, but he’s still basically the villain of the movie until he learns in the end that he can’t use Lyle for his own fame. Yes, it’s predictable. The rest of the cast is great with Constance Wu and Winslow Fegley, the son who discovers Lyle living in their attic. He comes out of his shell, so to speak, by befriending Lyle, and learning to be confident and live life to its fullest. He’s the one that truly recognizes how special Lyle is and also helps Lyle overcome his fears. Again, it’s a bit predictable, but it works because this is a kid’s movie and because of the audience doesn’t need to be anything.

What makes this movie work is there’s a lot of great music and very funny scenes. It’s a heartwarming story. Javier Bardem shines as this great vaudeville type performer. And even though he’s a bit of a villain, him matching wits with the true villain of the story affectionately known as Mr. Grumps played by the always entertaining Brett Gelman, who basically wants to kick everybody out of the house and put Lyle in a zoo. I admit that there isn’t much to the story. We’ve seen these kinds of stories before It reminded me a lot of the original Pete’s Dragon which basically just had a heartfelt message about friendship and having empathy for things that are different. That’s essentially what this story is. Yes, the story can be explored a little bit more and it seems like there aren’t any great dramatic moments except when everybody finds inspiration with Lyle. It’s true that you could probably have more of a backstory between the main characters, but this is a heartwarming comedic sing-along for kids. And the movie is made for parents who just want to enjoy some great comedy by fantastic actors while they watch a heartwarming movie with their children. My biggest critique is, the movie does feel short and that there isn’t much of the story. But the movie plays out like a children’s book which is what the story is based on so there’s no need to be overly critical about a movie that knows what it is. I did find myself laughing many times throughout the film, but mostly at Javier Bardem and Brett Gelman

Overall, it’s a fun film for kids. The music is great and it’s a heartwarming story that has a positive message when it comes to friendship and inclusivity, or simply, don’t judge a book by its cover. There’s a lot of positive things to this movie. What really makes it fun and entertaining is the cast. They picked a really good cast and picked a great singer to voice Lyle. While I am not a huge fan of Shawn Mendes, I recognize his talents and almost have to say that he was perfect for this role. Kid’s movies when it comes to being good or bad should be based on one thing, how many times you’re going to have to watch it and whether you will get bored. While this movie is not up there with Frozen, it’s entertaining enough that it won’t become so mind-numbing if you have to watch him many times. But if kids want to keep watching this movie, then you know you have a hit. They’re the best people to judge whether this movie is good or not. But for me who’s just an awesome uncle, yes, if I have to watch it a few more times then it’s not that bad. The cast is what makes this movie worth watching more than once.