A fairly grand jeté
“Leap” is an animated adventure about an aspiring ballerina who, over the course of the tale, becomes increasingly graceful.
So it is ironic — and frustrating — that “Leap” stumbles down its climactic stretch, tripping over itself on the way to its inevitable conclusion.
That aside, there simply is a lot to love — from the often-gorgeous scenic design to the vocal performances to its young and determined heroine — with “Leap.”
Set in 1880s France and released last year in parts of Europe under the title “Ballerina,” “Leap” is the story of 11-year-old Felicie (voiced by Elle Fanning), who, along with best friend Victor (Nat Wolff), dreams of escaping their country orphanage. They will run away to Paris, where she will train at the prestigious and competitive Opera Ballet School and he will work to become a famous inventor.
Escape they will, using the first iteration of an invention by Victor that will prove to be important throughout the course of “Leap.” (He calls the contraption he straps on his back to give him flight “chicken wings,” a concept that terrifies Felicie, who, unlike Victor, knows that chickens do not fly.)
But make it to Paris they do — despite the best efforts of the hideous-looking overseer of the orphanage, Luteau (Mel Brooks) — arriving at a time when the Eiffel Tower is not yet completed.
Soon they are separated, and a scared Felicie wanders the streets at night and finds her way to the school, where she is promptly turned away, only after being saved from a worse fate by the custodian, Odette (pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen). Felicie then follows Odette, who is not pleased and says she doesn’t like children but nonetheless allows Felicie to stay with her at the home of a wealthy woman where Odette works a second job as a housekeeper.
The wealthy woman, Regine (Kate McKinnon), is cruel to Odette, and Regine’s aspiring-ballerina daughter, Camille (Maddie Ziegler of Lifetime’s “Dance Moms”), is likewise terrible to Felicie on their first encounter. That makes it easier — at least in terms of moral justification — for Felicie, after intercepting Camille’s invitation to audition for a spot in the school, to pose as her to try to fulfill her own dream.
At the school, the extremely raw Felicie — she has all the passion in the world but none of the technique of her competitors — will have to win over the hard-to-please Director of the Opera (Joe Sheridan), deal with the aggressive romantic interest of the handsome top male dancer at the school, Rudolph, and hope her true identity isn’t revealed. She ultimately will need the help of Odette, who walks with a limp and clearly has a background in dance she has tried to bury.
And then there’s her everloyal Victor, who has fallen in with an inventor and whom she’s unintentionally brushed aside. Their friendship will be tested, as Victor — who clearly has feelings for Felicie — will be called upon to save her before “Leap” has leapt to its conclusion.
Co-directors Eric Summer and Eric Warin, who shaped the story and screenplay with others, bring an unmistakable passion to “Leap.” The film really pops to life on screen, their vision of late-19thcentury France just being a feast for the eyes in certain scenes, especially those at night when soft lighting from lamp posts bathes the Paris streets or when a train carrying the orphans traverses the countryside.
Even with her flaws — Victor certainly deserves better at times — Felicie is easy to root for, especially when compared with Camille. Thanks in part by the enthusiastic voicework from Fanning (“Ginger & Rosa,” “Maleficent”), Felicie is a decent role model for young girls who at one time may be told their dreams are unattainable.
While Wolff (“The Fault in Our Stars,” “Paper Towns”) is fine, it’s Jepsen who surprises a bit. With the help of the character designers and animators, she brings an understated mix of sadness and determination to Odette.
While it’s nice to hear the voice of Brooks, his Luteau isn’t very memorable. And, strangely, the very talented McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live,” “Ghostbusters”) is largely wasted on one-note villain Regine.
In the well-that’s-to-beexpected side of things, “Leap” betrays its classical leanings — the young dancers are vying for a coveted spot in a production of “The Nutcracker” — with pop songs performed by Jepsen and others that feel out of place. Worst of all is an eventual danceoff sequence between Felicie and Camille set not to the kind of beautiful music to which they would have been training but instead to something awfully thiscentury and generally awful. Again, through, what did we expect?
“Leap” does stumble — during the dance off, you could go as far to say it falls flat on its face, even if its desired demographic are likely to love it — and thus never quite soars. Nonetheless, like two orphans strapped to a rickety pair of chicken-inspired wings, it flies high enough.