Likes:

Cute: If you have seen the trailers, you want be surprised that this movie is adorable on so many levels. Lyle's journey starts out very charming, the cute little baby croc being like a child version of the Geico Gecko, and then quickly blooming into that tragic and loveable hero. The movie feels much like a kids' book come to life and both live and animate characters being these loveable representations of family values. The antics are fun, the lighthearted nature of the movie just puts a loveable quality to it, and the positivity takes away just about every scary element of the world. All in all it's fun.

Decent Pace For First Part of the Film: The pacing of the film works so well for me at the start. It's not a prolonged banter and trek through the muck of how rough life can be. No, Lyle gets right into the theatrics, having fun and getting the good vibes started as the animate crocodile and his new friend start their journey to a new life. Sure it takes some of the sting and character development out, but in doing so, it respects the time and fun to give you and your kids the wow factor they want.

The Acting: It's not bad at all for me in this film. Lyle's cast is impressive, and though they are in a children film, the performances aren't pulled like some other younger films do. Constance Wu is the best for me in this film, a bit kid focused, but then recovering to be the same fiery spirit that the woman always brings, balanced with the care she shows too. A toned down version of Crazy Rich Asians to give you an example. Then comes Javier Bardem, the man is fun and certainly in a place I have not seen, but gives the role enthusiasm, splendor, and more details despite not being his usual element. Scoot McNairy is fine as Mr. Primm, and once the movie actually starts picking things up, the character gets better than when he first starts, more interesting and dynamic when he starts integrating with the rest of the family. Special shout out to Winslow Fegley because the star of the show with Lyle deserves recognition for the stellar performance he put on as the kid struggling to find friends and seek out kindness. The chemistry around the team is very good, and they form that odd family they were going for in this film.

The Humor: Certainly geared to a much younger audience, Lyle is golden for the fun and lighthearted jokes that I think you could expect this movie to have. I chuckled a lot at the timing of many jokes, especially involving the cat, as they worked with the real life cast. Sure, this is going to be much more tuned to the 4-11 year old range if I'm honest, but the humor is very fitting for the film without being so juvenile that adults will be bored to death. That's a plus in my book.

The Heart and Soul Of the Movie: Beneath all the fun though is the heart and soul of what the movie wants. Lyle's books may be a tribute to Nick Jr. Like tales, but the movie was adapted to be something more and it really worked for me in the grand scheme of things. Lyle's movie has about three big lessons to take away from in my book, but they all work organically, and are presented well for much of the film. There is character development with inspirational shots and moments, and they don't go too preachy for much of the film given what they could have done instead. As the film continues to expand further, and the plot progresses, the film had my heart as the final numbers happened. I found some relevance which helps, but overall the movie has a lot of soul and quality that I absolutely love in my films.

The Musical Numbers: By far, the biggest bang of the movie are the song and dance numbers. Like a kid version of the Greatest Showman, Lyle has props for the song department. Covers are fun and tuned to the scene, giving Mendes his chance to really make his move on some classic songs that are fun. However, the original numbers and songs, though repetitive, really have that fire I like and give you the spirit of the show business, without the circus as a medium. They were creative with the numbers, the energy exciting and fun, with some creativity to the stage they performed in. I see many a child enjoying this, and theater loving child at heart enjoying it even more. Mendes carries a lot of weight on his shoulder, and the pop nature of the movie really drives the bus to the magical art of the theater. I think this will be a big winner for the movie and certainly worth a trip to theater.

DISLIKES:

The Plot has Holes: One of my biggest things I did not like, was the gaping holes and shortcuts of the movie. Lyles journey has a lot of heart, and cuteness, but the movie takes major leaps in the timeline with the story which was glaringly obvious for me. I cringed at how fast things progressed, and how so many other character arcs were sort of smoothed over to fit another song into the mix. Don't get me wrong, your kids won't care and the movie is still fun, but there was more that could have been done to make the story much more integrated and natural to make the full tale come to life.

Misuse of Characters: There are two or three characters in the film who had props to be another part of the story. Perhaps it's going to be in a sequel, but these characters are the story arcs that feel very misused and skipped on when it came to the tale. The African American girl in particularly held a lot of props, but she was directed towards some key moments that left me feeling cheated of another fun element and interactions. Again, when you see the big animate crocodile and the fun he is having, most are not going to care, but as a reviewer there was much more for the film to give if they had just taken time and maybe one less reprise of the first song.

The Ending Is a Bit Rushed: A lot of things happen in the last twenty-five minutes of the film, and though you get plenty of details for the experience, I can't say that the movie accomplished the best conclusion to the tale. Lyle's journey needed a little more organization, a little more flair and planning, a little more edge in the kid fashion, and of course more time. So many things felt too convenient and jammed in, that the last ten minutes or so felt like an afterthought that put a nice bow on the movie. Will it accomplish the task at hand? Sure, it almost always does and paves the way for something more to come. However, the movie needs a bit more polish to reach the full potential for the ending.

The Animation At Times: Again, the studio can do a lot more than I can with their talent and resources, and I really did find the animation adorable and moving with ease. However, the movie is pulling some punches compared to other feats of CGI technology and does not quite look as real as some might want it to. The cat named Loretta is a prime example of this, looking a tad too CGI, and Lyle at times gets a bit too cartoony given again what other films have done. The worst is when other crocodiles show up. They are consistent, but you tend to notice the limitations when they are trying to make the other animals have a more realistic touch. It's nitpicky I know, and truth be told, the style holds a bit of the spirt and fun of the movie with it, but that doesn't meant eh animation is not something that can get touched up on.

The VERDICT:

To be honest, I had a lot of fun with the movie and found the crocodile's story to be one fo the most touching films of the year. Lyle and his crew will really drive into the hearts of the young and young at heart, and give you a cute adventure that feels out of a picture book. With some great relevance to me, the movie touches some great life lessons in a deep manner, and tends to shy away from the in your face moments, which is a plus for me. And of course the songs are fantastic in bringing life to the screen and really providing the break from reality this film is meant to do. True, the story needs work, the planning and time constraints really feeling present to me with several character and story arcs that were frustrating to witness. And ti's true that the movie needed some more timing components when it came to the ending. But I feel this movie is a great night out at the theater, especially for a family fun night, or at least a view at home. With this, my scores for Lyle's adventure are:

Animation/Adventure/Comedy: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0.