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Vitus
Metascore
63 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    83
    Vitus, a fizzy domestic fairy tale from Switzerland, gives you a lift, as it revels in the oddball joy of genius as kid power.
  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    80
    The cast is superb, especially the young actors who portray Vitus; Gheorghiu is a real-life piano prodigy, lending an extra frisson to the intoxicating music that plays throughout the film.
  3. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Carrie Rickey
    75
    A gentle fable about how the young boy from Zurich struggles to fit in rather than stand out, Vitus is both a cautionary tale for pushy parents and an endearing, if eccentric, empowerment fantasy for precocious children.
  4. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    75
    When the movie becomes pure fantasy, it's impossible to swallow. (No landlord rents an apartment to a 12-year-old with no adult in sight.)
  5. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Jean Oppenheimer
    70
    Charming Swiss import.
  6. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Crust
    70
    Combines complex relationships with a winning style of storytelling.
  7. Variety
    Reviewed by: Eddie Cockrell
    70
    A natural for kidfests, pic is a fine example of old-fashioned story-telling and also will dance wherever detailed character development and leisurely-paced drama are appreciated.
  8. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Ronnie Scheib
    70
    Celebratory, family-friendly fable.
  9. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    67
    Its heart is never anywhere but in the right place.
  10. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Marta Barber
    63
    Deep down, this is a film about childhood dreams and the determination to make those dreams come true. With such a positive message, you can't help yodeling on your exit from the theater.
  11. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    63
    A fairly average movie about a very unusual child, Vitus does have an earnest charm.
  12. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    63
    "Joshua" is a horror movie that doesn't want to freak you out too much. Vitus freaks you out, but its makers seem to have no idea that it does.
  13. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Jason Anderson
    63
    Nevertheless, Vitus's cool intelligence, knotty narrative and precise performances make it a pleasure to watch even when it sends mixed messages about the true nature of its protagonist.
  14. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    60
    The triumphant musical cues and comic double takes encourage us to cheer Vitus's high jinks as if he were Ferris Bueller's ivory-tickling kid brother.
  15. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Sean Axmaker
    58
    The film ultimately swindles its own story.
  16. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Sid Smith
    50
    A Swiss movie that flirts back and forth between the French and German sensibilities at play in that nation.
  17. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    50
    A sappy look at the title character, a 12-year-old boy who's a math and music prodigy.
  18. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Ruthe Stein
    50
    Vitus is likable enough and definitely suitable entertainment for young people willing to read subtitles.
  19. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    50
    It is ultimately a simplistic film that will play better to youngsters who wish their grandpas were this cool and to parents who are nostalgic for the kind of exceptional childhood they neither had nor can provide for their own children.
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. grandpajoe6191
    5
    Sadly, despite its great performances, "Vitus" takes and drags itself into monotonous hours developing unnecessary dialogue and additional characters.
  2. BarbaraH
    9
    A touching movie. The love the older Vitus has for music, the emotion that shows in his playing is worth watching. I especially liked the scene in the bike park where the music each child is listening to is contrasted against one another. You knew then that there was music in this child that could not be held back. A wonderful way to spend 2 hours!… Full Review »
  3. ArthurK.
    9
    Great movie, a bit long. Some scenes drag on.
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