Saturday 27/05/23Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022) **** (Sky Cinema Premiere, 8.10am & 2.25pm)Mr and Mrs Primm (Scoot McNairy, Constance Wu) move to New York City with their exceedingly anxious son Josh (Winslow Fegley). The teenager struggles to fit in at his new school, but he gains confidence and purpose when he encounters Lyle (voiced by Shawn Mendes), the singing crocodile who lives in the attic of their three-storey brownstone, once owned by conjurer Hector P Valenti (Javier Bardem). Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a family-friendly musical comedy based on the best-selling book series by Bernard Waber, which melds live action and cutesy digital effects a la Paddington to extend the concept of a modern family to all creatures great, small and scaly. Bardem turns on the razzle dazzle and the eponymous semiaquatic hero gels convincingly with teenage co-star Fegley.
Rio Bravo (1959) ***** (Channel 5, 1.25pm)A small-town sheriff must keep a murderer behind bars until a marshal arrives to deal with him. It sounds simple, but the only people on the lawman’s side are a drunk and an ageing deputy, while the prisoner is the brother of a powerful rancher who will stop at nothing to break him out. Throw in a young gunslinger and a mysterious beauty fresh off the stagecoach, and the scene is set for high drama. John Wayne gives one of his best performances as Sheriff Chance, and has a convincing chemistry with Angie Dickinson, even if she is half his age. There are also decent supporting performances from Dean Martin and then-teen idol Ricky Nelson, making for a film that manages to be funny and tense in equal measure.
Hellboy (2004) *** (ITV1, 10.20pm)Demon Hellboy (Ron Perlman), raised by the Nazis in the final days of the Second World War but weaned from the dark side by paranormal expert John Hurt, joins a team fighting present-day fascist sorcery. Aided by a motley bunch of misfits, the hero has to juggle the demands of his role with his attempts to woo fragile friend Liz (Selma Blair), a conflict of interests that only adds fuel to his fiery temper. Acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro manages to remain fairly faithful to the comic-book while firmly attaching his own signature to the film, and strikes a careful balance between effects-laden action and character-driven scenes.
