‘Leap!’ review: Animated dance story mostly a misstep

In the animated film “Leap!,” set in 19th century France, an orphan girl named Felicie runs away to Paris to become a ballerina. Though she has no training, Felicie assumes a false identity and enters the prestigious Opera Ballet School. There, under the critical eye of the ballet master, Felicie has seven days to prove that she can dance the role of Clara in the National Opera’s production of “The Nutcracker.”

Alas! Spirit and determination are simply not enough, and Felicie is immediately exposed as a fraud, unable to perform even simple movements that require years of training from a very young age. At least, that’s how this story would go if “Leap!” gave any credence to reality. Granted, this is an animated film for kids, and it understandably wants to deliver the message that you can achieve anything if you just put your heart into it. That might hold true for boxing, karate and even Olympic bobsledding — but ballet? What’s French for “get real”?

A coproduction of Canada and France that was released overseas last year, “Leap!” arrives stateside with several American voice actors who, despite their talents, can’t bring this ill-conceived movie to life. Elle Fanning does her best as Felicie, but the character’s high-spiritedness often comes off as thoughtlessness or selfishness. Nat Wolff plays her loyal friend, Victor, who is portrayed as both Mr. Right (though Felicie doesn’t yet know it) and a bumbling moron — a schizophrenic role nobody could pull off. Kate McKinnon plays the aristocratic villain Regine (plus two other voices), while Mel Brooks is Luteau, an orphanage custodian. The one character who tugs at our hearts is Odette (Carly Rae Jepsen), an injured former dancer who takes Felicie under her wing.

All told, “Leap!” feels like an imitation of a movie. The dialogue occasionally sounds like poster copy, as when Odette tells Felicie, “Standing in the way of your dreams is your biggest nightmare.” The animation is an uneven combination of warm, expressive faces (Felicie seems to be modeled on Emma Watson) and rubbery, cartoonish bodies (not a great quality in a movie about ballet). Very young children might be mildly entertained, but for most adults, “Leap!” will feel more like a splat.