An animation about an orphan girl and aspiring ballerina, set against an idealized backdrop of late 18th century Paris. Along with her best friend, a hopeful inventor, she escaped from the orphanage and embarks on a quest to study at the prestigious Grand Opera Ballet School in Paris.
If you enjoy classical dance, especially ballet, it's enchanting to watch how those tricky movements are captured so elegantly in an animation format. The creative, improvised training using household items, impromptu tabletop dance sequence, competitive face-off are very impressive. And the adventure elements are fun.
The movie could benefit from having a backstory for a key supporting character. The over-the-top villain and romantic angle feel out of place. The dialogues leave a lot to be desired. And the moral of the story may be ambiguous to some.
But the French-Canadian production also offers a different kind of animation with its excellence on ballet movements. The movie imparts a belief to have a real passion for your dreams. With some luck and hard work, you could make it a reality against all odds. "Leap!" is lively and highly enjoyable.
Video: http://tinyurl.com/ballerinavideo