Warning: This article contains spoilers.

A singing crocodile who loves caviar and bubble baths befriends a lonely boy in New York City — that’s the bulk of “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.” Based on Bernard Waber’s children’s books series, the film is simple, but what it lacks in complexity, it makes up for with music. 

Lyle (Shawn Mendes) is a crocodile who communicates exclusively through song, which allows for a brilliant combination of Mendes’ voice and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the acclaimed songwriting team behind “The Greatest Showman.”

The movie, which releases Friday, follows the Primm family’s move to Manhattan, where their son Josh (Winslow Fegley) struggles to make friends at his new school. When he discovers Lyle living in his attic, everything changes for the better. 

It’s unclear exactly why Josh’s life goes from zero to 100 after meeting a crocodile with an affinity for pop music. This shift in dynamic is never really explained, and Josh’s own insecurities never fully developed. 

The film spends less time crafting the underlying motivations behind the Lyle-and-Josh narrative and more time portraying Lyle’s bond with Josh’s mom and dad through their respective interests. 

Mrs. Primm’s (Constance Wu) career as a chef and her husband’s (Scoot McNairy) glory days as a high school wrestler appear bizarre and without direction. Their past doesn’t come to fruition beyond a three-second sequence of Mr. Primm tackling the film’s antagonist Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman) in the middle of a courtroom after the family wins a trial allowing them to keep Lyle as their pet. 

Even still, moments like these are silly and unrefined, with unfinished arcs and questionable filmmaking decisions ameliorated only by the acting prowess of Wu, Academy Award winner Javier Bardem and I wish I could say Mendes, but let’s face it, he’s a CGI crocodile without any dialogue, although his singing carries the film time and time again.

Bardem plays Lyle’s charismatic owner Hector P. Valenti, who meets the Primms and reunites with Lyle just as Mr. Grumps threatens the family’s newfound crocodile-involved bliss.

From beginning to end, Bardem brings a certain joie de vivre to his role, equipping Valenti with a performative warmth and a vernacular that blends elegance and self-seeking amicability. 

“My whole life, I’ve been scared because you’ve been scared,” Josh tells his father after Lyle is taken away by authorities. 

This line could have invoked far greater emotional resonance if Mr. Primm’s fears or anxieties had been weaved in throughout the film. But all we really know about him is that he’s a math teacher and former wrestling champion.

Exploring a character giving up their dream to support their loved ones has the necessary complexity and framework for an entire film — and likely should’ve been expanded enough throughout the story to induce greater tension in this pivotal scene. 

What would be an otherwise flat storyline is strengthened by the film’s consistently heartfelt tone and frequent hilarity, like Lyle trading his usual crimson scarf for a Florida Gators jersey. This proves to be the perfect disguise for a day out, making him appear to be not just a die-hard fan of “The Orange and Blue” but an even more lifelike version of the university’s mascot. 

Coupled with a talented cast and upbeat music from a musician of Mendes’ caliber, “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” is flawed yet fun, silly yet entertaining from Lyle’s very first belting solo.

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Twitter: @andresbuena01

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