From the moment Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem) a down-on-his-luck magician walks into an exotic pet store and discovers a singing baby croc, you know you are in for something silly. Bardem plays into the comedy by continuing his tradition of big roles and bad hair. Bardem’s crazy foliage and an animated singing gator, what could go possibly wrong?
From this point on the story shifts to the arrival in the Big Apple of the Primm family. Pops is played by Scoot McNairy. Mother (Constance Wu) and their high-strung son Josh (Winslow Fegley). When the friendless Josh discovers Lyle living in their attic, a cross-species friendship begins as you would expect.Having Lyle be able to communicate only through song and utilising Mendes’ voice to the fullest gives the musical numbers more gravitas than having a non-singing actor attempt the same. This approach makes almost all the completely unbelievable events that happen all part of the fun. It’s silly to the extreme but charming nonetheless.
