Leap!

Film studio The Weinstein Company brings to the US, ""Leap!" It was previously released in France and the UK as "Ballerina" in 2016. It will hit US theaters with its current title on August 25, 2015. "Leap!" is directed by Eric Summer and Eric Warin. It is rated PG for action sequences and off-color but kid safe humor (in this case, the jokes are about farts). It runs 89 minutes.

Elle Fanning stars as upstart orphan Felicie. She dreams of becoming a prima ballerina in the Paris Ballet corps. She and her not boyfriend Victor (Nat Wolff) escape their orphanage in Brittany to move to Paris. There, Felicie secures a place in ballet classes by stealing the identity of her competition, the snobbish but exceptionally trained Camille L'Haut (Maddie Zeigler). Felicie is only moderately punished for this transgression. The girls face off for the role of Clara in "The Nutcracker Suite" and a life in the ballet. The cast is rounded out by Kate McKinnon as the Virago Regine, and Carly Rae Jepsen as Felicie's mentor, Odette.

The acting in this movie is acceptable. Carly Rae Jepsen surprisingly holds her own in this movie. Kate McKinnon delivers a properly nasty villainess. Her role requires so little comedic timing that she's nearly unrecognizable as Regine. "SNL" is clearly overlooking McKinnon's range. Relative unknown Shoshana Sperling's work as the precocious Nora stands out among the famous cast. Nora is a small role but has some excellent one-liners that stopped her scenes. Adult viewers will get a kick out of Mel Brooks' voice work as orphan-minder Luteau.

The plot is acceptable as well. It is heavy on action and light on exposition. Kids will enjoy this movie. Adults may find it tiresome, as the jokes are not clever, the story is cliched, and the circumstances unlikely. The accent choices are strange. The exception being the consistent bird jokes. There are ongoing slapstick bits with chickens and pigeons that anyone will enjoy. That being stated, "Leap!" should not be held to a Pixar standard.

What "Leap!" lacks in plot it makes up for in abundance in visual artistry. The work by L'Atelier Animation is gorgeous. Felicie's trip inside the Paris Opera House looks like the actual opera house. The animation studio captures the mystery and gothic romance of the opera house's statues and ceilings. The studio also paints a beautiful sky, and textures fabrics well. The 3-D animation of water looked real.

"Leap!" is a precious fantasy based on factual, real-life experiences of a ballet dancer. The movie glosses over the gruesome physical and emotional toll dancing can take. Professional and even hobbyist ballerinas do not pursue their ambitions lightly. Professional dance (or any art form) is hard work. The movie's Felicie takes to ballet naturally. Her lifestyle adaptations to life with the Paris Ballet are minimal. Meanwhile, Camille works away all day, every day. A real fear is that kids will leave the theater assuming that a week and some change is long enough to master the strict forms of ballet. On the other hand, it could inspire some more tenacious children to take classes.