REVIEW ROUNDUP: What Do Critics Think of VIVO, Starring Lin-Manuel Miranda?

Vivo, the exciting new animated musical feature starring Lin-Manuel Miranda in the title role, will make its premiere on Netflix this Friday, August 6th. And the reviews are in!

The movie also features new music by Miranda. It's directed by Oscar nominee Kirk DeMicco (The Croods), co-directed by Brandon Jeffords (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2), and written by Quiara Alegria Hudes (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.

Also featuring the voices of Zoe Saldaña (Guardians of the Galaxy) as Gabi's mother, Rosa; Michael Rooker as a villainous Everglades python, Lutador; Brian Tyree Henry and Nicole Byer as a pair of star-crossed spoonbills; and Katie Lowes, Olivia Trujillo, and Lidya Jewett as a trio of well-meaning but overzealous scout troops, VIVO is an exhilarating story about gathering your courage, finding family in unlikely friends, and the belief that music can open you to new worlds.

The critics have spoken...

Maya Phillips, The New York Times: "A death, a journey, a multicultural cast of characters whose first language is music: "Vivo" feels like it's in conversation with other recent animated movies with these themes, like "Coco" and "Soul." The representation is essential, but there's the risk of "brown characters finding grief and love through the beauty of music" becoming the new trope."

Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly: "Charismatic newcomer Simo makes Gabi a breakout character, con­fidently aspirational in her eccentricity, with a drum obsession that masks a sorrowful loss. Her shout-pop anthem "My Own Drum" is a kid's bop any adult can enjoy. Like all the tunes in Vivo, "My Own Drum" is an original Miranda composition. It's the most obvious lark. With the other songs, you feel the mind behind In the Heights and Hamilton working hard to integrate the legacy of Cuban music."

David Ehrlich, IndieWire: "The idea of Miranda voicing an adorable rapping kinkajou might be a dealbreaker for some people these days - Vivo sports huge eyes, a tiny fedora, and a little teal bandana that ties the whole look together - but all of the overexposure in the world can't change the fact that "One of a Kind" hits with the same immediacy as any of the great songs he wrote for "Moana.""

Alistair Harkness, The Scotsman: If Frozen reminded everyone that animated musicals could still be huge box office, it didn't exactly kickstart a revival in the form. That may be why the chief selling point of Netflix's Vivo is Hamilton wunderkind Lin-Manuel Miranda, who stars here as the eponymous hero, a kinkajou (rainforest mammal) who sing-raps in the now familiar style of Hamilton and In the Heights.

John Nugent, Empire: "In a musical about music as much as anything, it makes sense that music is the strong point, and you never doubt that passion. The story between the songs is thin, though: Vivo's mission to deliver a song to Andrés' long-lost love is stretched to the limit, and the middle section sags with contrived peril and a lack of focus (Vivo meets a couple of lovesick spoonbills and a python, perhaps only to boost the talking animal quota)."

Tom Beasley, Flickering Myth: "Above all else, Vivo is about the connective power of music and its ability to bridge gaps geographical, temporal and seemingly insurmountable. When Vivo ponders the question "what difference can one song make?" in an early scene, he fires the starting gun on a movie which shows just how crucial a page of musical notes and associated lyrics can be. In the hands of this film, one song can symbolise grief, longing, love and the indelible mark left by the firmest memories."

Alex Dudok de Wit, Cartoon Brew: When the songs kick in, the design is dialed up to 11. A rousing number sung by Andrés is set to 2d-styled cg visuals inspired by vintage album covers, while Gabi's hi-octane self-introduction song is accompanied by technicolor motion graphics. Sony has forged a reputation for graphic inventiveness with films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Mitchells vs. the Machines. These musical set pieces are where Vivo gets experimental.

Watch the trailer for Vivo here:

Photo Credit: SPAI