HBO
On Wednesday morning, one thing unusual and unbelievable occurred: I used to be truly dropped at tears by a two-minute trailer for a film by which Shawn Mendes performs a singing crocodile. Now, which will say extra about me than the film itself, however the movie in query, Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, appears to be like cute and genuinely transferring. See for your self if you will get by the trailer with out shedding a tear or two—it’s more durable than it appears!
Primarily based on the beloved kids’s e-book of the identical title by Bernard Waber, Lyle, Lyle Crocodile stars Mendes because the titular reptile, an unlikely resident of an Higher East Facet townhouse with a penchant for knitwear and singing within the bathtub. When the Primm household strikes into the home, they’re surprised to find that Lyle lives of their attic.
Javier Bardem performs the eccentric Mr. Valenti, Lyle’s owner-slash-singing-partner. “I see you’ve met my crocodile,” Bardem greets the Primms within the trailer, tipping his bowler hat. “He’s a unprecedented expertise.” The younger son, Josh (Winslow Fegley), is instantly psyched to have a singing crocodile for a roommate, as any elementary faculty boy could be. However his mother and father, performed by Constance Wu and Scoot McNairy, want some convincing.
“Okay, sure, crocodiles can chunk by bone and, sure, they've a style for human flesh, however he’s not like that,” Josh pleads together with his mom within the trailer. “He wears a shawl and he can sing!” Flawless logic, 10/10. A crocodile who wears a shawl and belts showtunes would clearly by no means harm somebody. I, for one, am satisfied.
Certainly, Lyle is a classy metropolis crocodile. He rides in yellow cabs and visits MoMA to take a look at the Monet Water Lilies triptych. Nonetheless, his neighbors need him evicted—none extra so than the aptly named Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman, who will certainly be spectacular on this position). Lyle, Lyle Crocodile is finally a youngsters’ film about tenants’ rights.
As cute because the trailer is, it’s, erm, unnerving to listen to Mendes’ whiny, boy band-adjacent singing voice popping out of the mouth of an animated crocodile in a sweater. The producers clearly wished somebody youngsters would care about, and I respect the ballsiness of casting a younger, skinny-jeans-obsessed popstar as an alternative of, say, Elton John or Paul McCartney, whose voices would certainly make extra sense for the position.
However the 23-year-old Canadian is already killing the publicity sport, hilariously telling Individualsthis week that he actually pertains to Lyle’s story, apparently with out even a whiff of irony. If somebody can clarify to me how Shawn Mendes may presumably have something in frequent with a tragically misunderstood singing crocodile, I'd drastically respect it.
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile is directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon, the filmmaking duo behind comedies like Blades of Glory and Workplace Christmas Celebration. It options authentic songs written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, whose spectacular earlier credit embody The Biggest Showman and Tony-Award-winning musical Pricey Evan Hansen.
Because the pleasant trailer signifies, the musical comedy can be “coming shortly, crocodile” (cute!). It hits theaters on October 7.