Cast Discuss Latest Family-Friendly Feature, LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE: ‘He Helps Every Single One of Us In A Special Way’
By Movieguide® Staff
The cast of LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE, recently talked with Movieguide® about the important themes Lyle teaches their characters in the movie and audiences.
Directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon, LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE is the first family-friendly blockbuster heading into the holiday season. The movie is based on Bernard Waber’s classic children’s book of the same name.
Actor Winslow Fegley plays the role of Josh Prim, the first of the Prim family to befriend the singing crocodile.
“I think it’s a really, really beautiful journey between Lyle and Josh through the film,” he told Movieguide®. “Josh is a person [who] is really afraid of a lot of things, who’s not confident in himself at all, and through the movie I think that they’re able to grow together and Josh becomes much more confident in himself and he learns not to care what other people think.”
“Lyle is just like this awesome, super happy all the time creature and I think that when he comes into the Prim’s lives he really helps every single one of us in a really special way,” Fegley added. “There’s a musical number in the movie, ‘Ripping Up The Recipe,’ which is a really awesome song… he [Lyle] helps my mom, played by Constance Wu, to learn that sometimes you just gotta rip up the recipe and you gotta let loose and just go with the flow.”
Brett Gelman, who plays one of the antagonists in the movie, Mr. Grumps, said that he appreciated the music in LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE, and its ode to classic New York Broadway music.
“Broadway is always an influence on me and I think that Mr Grumps is a big classic Broadway fan,” he said. “If you’re doing a musical at all you have to think Broadway and so that’s an honor to stand on the shoulders of all of those many giants.”
Gelman, star of STRANGER THINGS, added that Lyle helps the Prim family find their footing despite their circumstances.
“They’re real fishes out of water making this great change that sort of put them on shaky ground you know and so they had to they all help each other find their footing there,” he said.
A portion of Movieguide®’s review of LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE reads:
LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE is a fun comedy about a talking and singing crocodile and a boy in middle school. Josh is nervous because he has moved to New York City and is going to a new school. One night he hears noises in the attic and finds a crocodile that tries to eat the neighbor’s cat. Josh catches the crocodile, and he ends up in a dark alley where a man tries to steal his phone. The crocodile protects Josh, which makes Josh start to trust him. Living in the attic, the crocodile, named Lyle, forms an unlikely friendship with Josh. Will Josh’s grumpy neighbor find out about Lyle and evict the family?
LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE has a strong moral worldview with many positive themes, but it can be scary for little children. The movie’s lead character develops confidence and courage and learns how to love someone other than himself. The movie is well done, with good acting, but it doesn’t have a lot of jeopardy for much of the story. Overall, however, viewers will find LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE funny and enjoyable.
Read More: LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE Directors Discuss Musical’s Message of ‘Unconditional’ Love