Vivo

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2:21

Vivo

PG

2021

1h 38m

Kids & Family

Musical

Comedy

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

107 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

From Netflix and Sony Pictures AnimaFrom Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation -- the studio that brought you Oscar winner Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and this year's critically acclaimed blockbuster The Mitchells vs. The Machines -- comes Vivo, an animated musical adventure featuring all-new songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of Hamilton and In the Heights. Vivo follows a one-of-kind kinkajou (aka a rainforest "honey bear," voiced by Miranda), who spends his days playing music to the crowds in a lively square with his beloved owner Andrés (Buena Vista Social Club's Juan de Marcos). Though they may not speak the same language, Vivo and Andrés are the perfect duo through their common love of music. But when tragedy strikes shortly after Andrés receives a letter from the famous Marta Sandoval (three-time Grammy-winning Latin pop legend Gloria Estefan), inviting her old partner to her farewell concert with the hope of reconnecting, it's up to Vivo to deliver a message that Andrés never could: A love letter to Marta, written long ago, in the form of a song. Yet in order to get to Marta, who lives a world apart, Vivo will need the help of Gabi (newcomer Ynairaly Simo) -- an energetic tween who bounces to the beat of her own offbeat drum to fulfill his owner's wishes.

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Critics Consensus

Vivo offers few surprises, but this attractively animated adventure is enlivened by the catchy songs contributed by star Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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Nicholas Barber

BBC.com

A warm, colourful, family-friendly tribute to all things Cuban directed by Kirk DeMicco.

Aug 13, 2021

Full Review

Mark Feeney

Boston Globe

Last year's biggest animated feature was Pixar's "Soul." The best thing about it was a rare feeling for music, an ability to express jazz visually and rhythmically. At times, "Vivo" does the same even better for Latin music.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 12, 2021

Full Review

Brad Newsome

Sydney Morning Herald

Vivo himself has charm and a delightfully kinetic scamper to go with themes of love and loss.

Aug 11, 2021

Full Review

Francesca Steele

iNews.co.uk

Vivo is a charming creature, but it is his pairing with the indomitable Gabi that really makes their adventures through the Everglades memorable, forming an edgy but tender ensemble as they meet the bright lights of Miami.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 10, 2024

Full Review

Juanma Fernández París

El Nuevo Día (Puerto Rico)

... The should of this movie is expressed through its compositions. [Full review in Spanish]

Dec 6, 2023

Full Review

Rebecca Johnson

Film Focus Online

A cute animal in the lead role is always entertaining, the animation is gorgeous and the story has a nice balance of fun and emotion.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 6, 2023

Full Review

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Jay W

Lin-Manuel Miranda had a busy year in 2021. Along with directing a Best Picture nominee in "Tick...Tick...Boom!" he provided the music for two animated movies. One of these was "Encanto" which went on to win "Best Animated Picture" as the Oscars. The animated film was this one, "Vivo". One advantage this film has over "Encanto" is that Lin actually does the singing in this film. Miranda is such a unique talent, no one can write songs the way he does, and no one can perform them the way he does. Not only is he great singer, he is a great voice actor as well. There are so many jokes in this movie that are sold by his delivery. He provides a lot of pained screams that are comedy gold. The songs throughout the movie are all good, some of them being stuck in your head for weeks after hearing them. The animation is also very good, the character designs are distinct and the movements smooth. The story ebbs and flows in quality. The opening 30 minutes and ending 30 minutes are very good. They hit all the emotional beats just right and move characters forward in a believable way. I even enjoy the twist they do on the kids' buddy road trip formula. Typically, there are two characters that don't get along and they gripe the whole time. That happens here as well, but since one character can't understand the other, they are able to be as brutally mean as they like without it offending the other. They just naively go along like they are the best of friends, and it leads to some funny jokes. It is just that pesky middle 30 minutes that feels like a series of plot contrivances in order to make the movie happen. There are plenty of ways to fix the problem in a quick and painless way, but to make the story last for 94 minutes, needless complications arise. It is all basic animated movie stuff, and there are some funny jokes interlaced throughout, but it doesn't rise to the quality of its opening or closing. The first 30 minutes gives the movie its emotional core. The final 30 minutes give it is satisfactory ending. The middle 30 minutes give it typical kids' movie shenanigans. But there is good animation, music and humor throughout the whole runtime.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/01/24

Full Review

Emilija D

Amazing movie and fantastic music selection.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/14/24

Full Review

TROY S

I like the animation and the songs. The mission that the characters have to do is heart warming. It's great to have Gloria Estefan singing in it too. and Lin-Manuel Miranda is SO GREAT as Singing And As VIVO

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/18/24

Full Review

Arrigo M

i love it when the rating i give is the only thing i have to say💖

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/29/24

Full Review

Tim M

Vivo's pedestrian storytelling and animation show, but Lin-Manuel Miranda's unmistakable melodies keep it bouncing to the beat of its own drum.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/11/24

Full Review

NotFunny B

Music is great. It's sad but funny. I love the adventure and the meaningfulness of it all. The Miami song is what brought me to the movie and the movie was more than what I thought it would be.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/07/24

Full Review

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Kirk DeMicco

Director

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Vivo

Zoe Saldana

Rosa

Juan de Marcos González

Andrés

Brian Tyree Henry

Dancarino

Michael Rooker

Lutador

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Synopsis

From Netflix and Sony Pictures AnimaFrom Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation -- the studio that brought you Oscar winner Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and this year's critically acclaimed blockbuster The Mitchells vs. The Machines -- comes Vivo, an animated musical adventure featuring all-new songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony, Grammy, and Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of Hamilton and In the Heights. Vivo follows a one-of-kind kinkajou (aka a rainforest "honey bear," voiced by Miranda), who spends his days playing music to the crowds in a lively square with his beloved owner Andrés (Buena Vista Social Club's Juan de Marcos). Though they may not speak the same language, Vivo and Andrés are the perfect duo through their common love of music. But when tragedy strikes shortly after Andrés receives a letter from the famous Marta Sandoval (three-time Grammy-winning Latin pop legend Gloria Estefan), inviting her old partner to her farewell concert with the hope of reconnecting, it's up to Vivo to deliver a message that Andrés never could: A love letter to Marta, written long ago, in the form of a song. Yet in order to get to Marta, who lives a world apart, Vivo will need the help of Gabi (newcomer Ynairaly Simo) -- an energetic tween who bounces to the beat of her own offbeat drum to fulfill his owner's wishes.

Director: Kirk DeMicco
Producer: Lisa Stewart, Michelle Wong, Rich Moore
Screenwriter: Kirk DeMicco, Quiara Alegría Hudes
Production Co: One Cool Film Production, Sony Pictures Animation, Columbia Pictures
Rating: PG (Some Thematic Elements|Mild Action)
Genre: Kids & Family, Musical, Comedy, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 6, 2021
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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