Movie #1375 ........................."Leap!"

Movie #1375 "Leap!" --- I wanted to love this film so much --- the music is great, the dancing is fun, the story is okay --it keeps moving, but has detours along the way.  But there was something about it I didn't like at all --- is it possible that the acting was lame?  I know that is kind of weird to say about animation, but the actors weren't that all believable because they seemed to be pushing too much, instead of letting the characters and the story just to realistically move on from one place to the other. Too pushy -- almost as if to say, "isn't this cute?"  I didn't like that about the film.  Also, we've seen the story a lot --- girl has a dream and all she needs is people who believe in her to get it accomplished.  It's hard to believe, though, that it involves ballet, because it takes so much studying.  The film tried to show that, but  the leaps that occur in the film, dance wise,  are impossible, and that would have to be explained to a small one --- they are more symbolic "leaps" meaning taking risks.  I really think some kids will really get into this one and not notice the acting problems and the pushiness --- so I would recommend this for little kids to see --- Oh, one more thing you might want to know.  The film has two high points --- the one is a dance off and I loved, loved, loved the idea that it was dealing with dance as the deciding factor.  But the second one was the typical bad person going after the good person with some sort of weapon.  I hate that!  So that's why I only gave it a 3.5, too.  But I do think kids would like this one, and it so honors dance that i would have to recommend it.

'LEAP!"      2017      3.5 stars out of 5

After running away from her orphanage, 11-year-old Félicie Milliner finagles her way into the Paris Opera Ballet School by "borrowing" the identity of snooty brat Camille Le Haut. But Félicie soon finds that talent alone isn't enough.

Cast: Elle Fanning, Nat Wolff, Maddie Ziegler