Vivo

 When I highlighted Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical year, I didn't take Vivo into account. This Sony Animated Film debuted on Netflix a few months ago. So, while I saw Encanto yesterday and was going to write on that, it didn't feel right without seeing Vivo first. Now I did. And you should to.

Miranda, in addition to the song-writing, is Vivo the kinkajou. He and his owner, Andres Hernandez (Juan de Marcos) are street performers in Havana. One day, a letter comes from his old bandmate, Marta Sandoval (Gloria Estefan), asking him to come to her last show in Miami. But Death takes Andres in his sleep that night. Among the old man's belongings is a love song to Marta. Vivo decides to take the song to Marta himself. But how will he get to Miami?

Enter Andres's grandniece Gabi (Ynairaly Simo) and her mom, Rosa (Zoe Saldana). They come to Havana for his funeral; Vivo smuggles himself on the flight home. Gabi is happy to have the honey bear in her life. She agrees to help him get to Miami to deliver the song. What follows is a crazy adventure dealing with the Everglades, transportation issues, a giant snake named Lutador (Michael Rooker), and the Girl Scouts Sand Dollar Troop that Rosa wants Gabi to be in. It's quite a lot for a 97-minute movie.

Quiara Alegría Hudes co-wrote the film with director Kirk DeMicco. It doesn't take long for Andres to die but the opening establishes his and Vivo's relationship pretty well. It's quite tough when he does kick the bucket. Add Gabi's dad's (Andres's nephew) death in the backstory and we've got a surprisingly emotional film. It sometimes throws silliness at us to end such emotional moments. You will feel the mood whiplash.

But you'll also like the characters. Vivo and Gabi make for a great duo, even if she can't understand him. Their best moment is when they realized they've preserved the song after its sheet music is destroyed in the swamp. Andres and Marta make the most of their limited screentime. Their past and present feelings are easily understandable. The Sand Dollars are an entertaining trio of antagonists who eventually befriend our heroes. Lutador only appears in two scenes but is still a creepy villain. Dancarino and Valentina (Brian Tyree Henry and Nicole Byer), a pair of spoonbills Vivo matchmakes, are surprisingly helpful characters.

There's plenty to like about the music. Vivo and Andres' relationship is established in the opening One of a Kind, an entertaining rapid rapping number. Gabi's My Own Drum is appropriate for her untrained musicality. Inside Your Heart, the central song, is the most resonant of its emotional numbers. Alex Lacamoire's score stands proudly on its own besides the memorable musical numbers.

There's also much to like about the visuals. It's primarily CGI, but a few musical numbers include some dazzling 2D animation. The Neon colors help these moments stand out. The animated characters are superb in either format. Its animated renditions of Havana, the Everglades and Miami are impressive CGI locales. 

Vivo is not merely some generic kids movie. Its love story subplot gives it plenty of resonance. The moods often clash, but its quirky characters help make it a great home matinee. Never heard of a kinkajou? This movie will give you plenty of education. So chill with Vivo if you've got Netflix. As for me, I'll get to reviewing Encanto next.

 For real this time.