Review Roundup: Shawn Mendes Sings Pasek & Paul in LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE Movie Musical

In the new musical film adaption of Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, Grammy-winning pop singer Shawn Mendes sings new music by Tony, Grammy, and Oscar winners Pasek and Paul.

Best known for their work on Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land, and The Greatest Showman, the duo has written original songs performed by Shawn Mendes, Javier Bardem, and Constance Wu, with contributions from Mendes, Ari Afsar, Emily Gardner Xu Hall, Mark Sonnenblick, and Joriah Kwamé.

Based on the best-selling book series by Bernard Waber, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a live-action/CGI musical comedy that brings this beloved character to a new, global audience.

The film was released in theaters today, October 7. Read what critics thought of the new movie musical below!

---

Calum Marsh, The New York Times: "Lyle and Josh go dumpster diving to find exotic foods: why isn't this a musical number? After Lyle is jailed in a zoo by Wildlife Control, Hector (back in the film at last) and Josh orchestrate a late-night prison break: this should definitely be a musical number. This conflict, like many in the film, is resolved much too easily, in a show of writerly laziness. Or perhaps it's a case of deus ex croc-ina."

Owen Gleiberman, Variety: "When he opens his mouth and sings, in the lovely soaring mellifluous baritone of Shawn Mendes, who delivers half a dozen new songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (as well as several of his own), the composer-lyricists of "The Greatest Showman" and "Dear Evan Hansen," whose propulsive hooky romantic melodies tend to go down like butter. (The songs here aren't nearly as memorable as the "Greatest Showman" songs, but they'll do.)"

Thomas Floyd, The Washington Post: It's a crafty conceit that allows screenwriter Will Davies to recast Lyle's tale as a pop-rock musical by way of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the hit-churning songwriters behind "The Greatest Showman," "Dear Evan Hansen" and "La La Land." Here, they collaborate with Ari Afsar, Emily Gardner Xu Hall, Mark Sonnenblick and Joriah Kwamé to compose original tunes worthy of that catchy catalogue. Among them: the soaring anthem "Top of the World," the power ballad "Carried Away" and the charming duet "Take a Look at Us Now."

Fletcher Peters, The Daily Beast: "Though the musical, with catchy tunes by the folks who did The Greatest Showman and La La Land, is marketed for children, fans of bombastic movies like Cats and The Room might also enjoy its lighthearted goofiness. Will Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile become a cult movie? Only time will tell."

Frank Schek, The Hollywood Reporter: "He also happens to possess a beautiful singing voice, which is frequently heard in original songs composed by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman), among others, that will evaporate from your brain before you get up from your theater seat."

Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times: "Pasek and Paul's songs end up having to do much of the emotional heavy lifting, and the rest of the film feels cobbled together from random parts scavenged from other kids movies and pop culture ephemera."

Peter Hammond, Deadline: "It no doubt helped to have pop heartthrob Shawn Mendes deliver the voice for Lyle, and Oscar-, Grammy- and Tony-winning songwriting team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman) suppling the snappy tunes, but thanks to its engaging title CGI creation, this crocodile rocks."

Soren Andersen, Seattle Times: "They're big bravura songs, full of life-affirming messaging because this is a relentlessly upbeat picture that aspires to be a big-deal musical, like, I don't know, maybe "Cats," or somesuch. Sadly, they're not particularly memorable tunes, try though they might to be perceived as such."

---

Watch the trailer for Lyle, Lyle Crocodile here:

To post a comment, you must register and login.