Run time: 106 mins

Spoonfuls of snappy charm in this relentlessly happy musical crowd-pleaser.

After discovering baby singing crocodile Lyle in a pet shop, magician Hector (Bardem) raises him in his Manhattan home, betting his house on their song-and-dance act. When Lyle’s stage fright ends that dream, Hector runs off to escape his lenders. Enter the Primm family, with cookbook-writing Mom, maths teacher Dad and nervous son Josh. When Josh discovers that there’s a now full-grown crocodile living in the attic, he has a task on his hands to convince his parents that Lyle’s not dangerous. But when Hector then shows up looking for his former partner, the real adventure begins.

Unapologetically embracing the most ridiculous of premises, there’s a surprising amount of heart beneath the scaly surface. Each character is afraid of something, which makes them easy to identify with, especially as Lyle helps them find and build their self-confidence. Packed with clever gags, vivid characters and catchy songs, it nails that tricky balancing act of keeping the grown-ups entertained while the kids giggle helplessly at the usual silly slapstick.

Just like the Paddington movies, this is a blast of cinematic fun that is kind of impossible to resist