Leap! (2016)

26 August 2017. Some people have criticized this movie because of the stealing scene. For those sensitive enough to have moral qualms about this criminal act and this movie, might just as well also condemn the Best Oscar Motion Picture Les Miserables (2012) for stealing wood in that movie. Subsequently, this criminal act has its consequences. Really for an animated children's movie the morality of the criminal is not as clear cut as it might seem as well. As for those critics whose insistence on historical accuracy and the relatively quick learning curve to become an amazing dancer are missing the nature of this fun, entertaining, in some ways simplistic presentation of an animated feature for young girls who still have dreams and a few boys who want to be inventors ala the prat fallen and accident-prone acclaimed comedian, Jerry Lewis, who died recently at 91 years old. And finally, dancing in a pub as a young girl can't be looked down on if one realizes this is a European setting where society isn't so prudish and the association of pubs (where family often gather) and bars is often confused.

The use of animation in this movie was aptly chosen and is fined tuned to the spirited nature of the storyline, particularly the dancing moves which would have been quite unrealistic and poorly received if the movie had been live action instead. The animated dancing offers up a childlike fantasy experience of exciting idealistic movement and the fulfillment of the delicious pleasure of passionate dreams. There is an excellent but difficult and rarely achieved balance between animated realism and the girlish imagination of what could and is possible as seen through a child's eyes such like Bolt (2008) about a performance dog who believes his acting is part of his real persona. The landscapes, the buildings, cityscapes are often presented with vibrant authenticity yet with a sense of wondrous imperfection as animation as yet hasn't been able to completely replicate dense photographic images of the real world.

In some ways, Leap! could be consider the young child's version of La La Land (2016) or Chicago (2002) in its depiction of the entertainment world, its exotic sights and sounds, the captivating energy and the enthralling emotional turmoil and the pulsating excitement of art. This great movie is about not giving up passion and pursuing one's dreams, who better message can an animated feature offer children?

Fmovies: Ballerina is a great french-Canadian animation film about 2 waifs who escape their orphanage and go to Paris to reach their dreams & never give up, Félicie (Elle Fanning) with a passion a natural talent for dance & Victor (Dane Dehaan) an inventor. Beautiful music, landscapes & sceneries, a Belle Époque tale that involves the construction of the Eiffel Tower & the Statue of Liberty. A kindly maid & a distinguished professor manage her to succeed. A movie for the whole family.

I'm going to keep this short with a list of positives and negatives;

Positives: It looks beautiful, both the settings and the movements.

Negatives: Horrible story. Terribly written dialogues, characters and comedy. The action scene at the end makes no sense and comes out of nowhere. The moral of the story seems to say that it's OK to cheat and lie, for as long as you have passion everything will work out. Music that doesn't fit the scene, mood or time-frame. Horrendous voice acting, going for "star power" instead of talent.

Leap! fmovies. Im a huge fan for animation, I heard about this movie and didn't really know what to expect. What I got was a beautiful movie with the positive messages of chasing your dreams and never giving up on them no matter how hard things may seem.

I do kinda wish the subplot of victor could have tied in more with the main focus of Felicie but it is what it is, I ain't complaining.

Finally, It was hilarious and very charming too. Perfect for families. Enjoy the movie!

If you're a parent, and you believe in your children's dreams and potentials, you will love this movie! In my review, I just want to extend my gratitude to the creators of LEAP. It's a breath of fresh air to see a film that encourages kids to dream and dream big. This world will try to steal your dreams, we need more movies like this to encourage children (and adults) to continue to follow their dreams.

"Look at things not as they are, but as they can be. Visualization adds value to everything. A big thinker always visualizes what can be done in the future. He isn't stuck with the present." "Those who believe they can move mountains,do.Those who believe they can't,cannot." -David J Schwartz in Magic of Thinking Big

Leap! is a great film with a big meaning. This film teaches it all - honesty, perseverance and the importance of practice, family, believing in yourself, believing in your dreams and passion. Felicie makes a lot of mistakes during her journey, which set her back, but that doesn't stop her from continuing to push through.

The story begins when Felicie and her best friend, Victor escape from an orphanage. They take a train to Paris so that Felicie can attend a dance school there and Victor can become an inventor. They arrive in Paris without any money. During their journey, they encounter many challenges. As Felicie meets new people, a love conflict arises as well as a conflict with a wealthy lady who is pure evil and wants to crush Felicie's dream.

A wealthy woman Regine (Kate McKinnon) is cruel, rude and arrogant, but a boy with a crush on Felicie protects her from Regine. McKinnon makes Regine sound totally wicked in a bad but great way. The boy, Victor (Natt Wolf) is portrayed as a timid, but an optimistic and caring friend.

The animation in this film is spectacular! It is very detailed and their mouths move with the words they are saying so well the animated characters seem real. The voice acting is spot on. The voices are filled with emotion and an inspiration to the audience, including me.

My favorite part is when Felicie watches a ballerina at the French dance school. She takes just one look at the ballerina's dance and knows she wants to dance and that she can dance. You can really see Felicie's passion for dancing right there. The whole movie is all about passion and the movie will inspire viewers to follow their dreams.

The message of this film is to follow your dreams. It show how, in order to succeed, you have to work very hard, believe in yourself and have passion. Felicie is an exemplary role model.

Leap! is a very inspirational film with a very important lesson and a pleasure to watch. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 3 to 18. Adults will love this movie as well. I really enjoyed watching this film.