Ballerina

I watched Ballerina (2016)—released in the States as Leap! for reasons only a marketing executive could explain—on a Tuesday afternoon while my radiator was emitting a rhythmic clanking that oddly synced up with the film’s percussion. It’s an interesting beast: a French-Canadian co-production that managed to bypass the usual Hollywood giants to become a genuine global sleeper hit. It’s got that scrappy, high-energy DNA that reminds me why we sometimes need a break from the hyper-polished, soul-searching existentialism of modern Pixar.

Set in 1879, the film follows Félicie (Elle Fanning), an orphan from Brittany with a mane of ginger hair and a singular obsession with dance. Along with her best friend Victor (Dane DeHaan), a budding inventor who spends most of the movie falling off things, she escapes her grim surroundings for the dusty, dream-soaked streets of Paris. The hook? Félicie isn't exactly "invited" to the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet. Instead, she pulls off a move that would get her arrested today: she steals the identity of a bratty socialite to snag a spot in the academy.

Stealing Dreams in the City of Light

What I love about the Paris depicted here is that it’s a city under construction. We see the Eiffel Tower being bolted together and the Statue of Liberty’s head sitting in a workshop. It’s a metaphor for the characters themselves—incomplete, jagged, and struggling to reach a certain height. Elle Fanning brings a breathless, slightly chaotic sincerity to Félicie. She doesn't sound like a 19th-century orphan—none of them do—but in the contemporary landscape of animated features, we’ve moved past caring about linguistic accuracy in favor of "vibe."

The animation, handled by Montreal-based L’Atelier Animation, is surprisingly lush given the $30 million budget. That might sound like a lot, but in an era where Disney spends $200 million just to get the hair physics right, Ballerina is essentially an indie. The dance sequences are the standout; they used key-frame animation informed by Aurélie Dupont and Jérémie Bélingard (stars of the Paris Opera Ballet) to ensure the choreography wasn't just "cartoon jumping" but actual, recognizable technique. Even if the physics occasionally take a vacation, the feeling of the movement is there.

The film's antagonist, Camille, is voiced by Maddie Ziegler, which is a clever bit of "meta" casting. Having the world’s most famous young dancer play the technical perfectionist who lacks "heart" is a nice wink to the audience. But let’s be honest: the plot is essentially a primer on identity theft for toddlers, and I find myself cheering for the fraud every single time.

From Pop Hits to Pirouettes

One thing that firmly plants this film in the 2010s is the soundtrack. Instead of period-accurate orchestral swells, we get a heavy dose of contemporary pop. This includes the juggernaut "Cut to the Feeling" by Carly Rae Jepsen, who also voices the mentor figure, Odette. It’s a weirdly bold choice to have a 19th-century girl training to a synth-pop banger, but it works because it leans into the film’s "adventure" label rather than trying to be a dusty historical drama.

Carly Rae Jepsen is surprisingly grounded as Odette, the former prima ballerina turned cynical cleaner. She provides the emotional ballast that keeps the movie from floating off into pure fluff. Then you have Mel Brooks showing up as a "Mustachioed Creep" (literally his character's name in some credits), proving that even in the late 2010s, a Mel Brooks cameo is the secret sauce that makes any project 15% better.

The film’s climax involves a chase scene across the scaffolding of the Statue of Liberty that feels more like a Mission: Impossible outtake than a ballet movie. It’s absurd, it’s loud, and it features a villainous mother (Julie Khaner) who is essentially a Disney villain dialed up to eleven. Is it historically accurate? Not even remotely. Is it a blast? Absolutely. I’ll take a chainsaw-wielding stage mom on a national monument over a subtle character study any day of the week.

The $100 Million Underdog

There’s a reason Ballerina cleared $100 million at the box office. It arrived at a moment when audiences were craving "Girl Power" narratives that felt active rather than passive. Félicie doesn't wait to be rescued; she breaks out of prison, lies to the authorities, and works until her toes bleed. It’s a classic adventure structure—the quest for the "MacGuffin" is replaced by the quest for the perfect pirouette.

Behind the scenes, the film faced an uphill battle. It took years to secure the funding, and the US release was delayed and re-dubbed (replacing some of the original voice actors like Dane DeHaan with Nat Wolff for the American Leap! version). I prefer the international cut; there’s something about the original chemistry that feels less "manufactured for the mall."

The film also avoids the trap of a forced romance. While Victor clearly carries a torch for Félicie, the movie remains refreshingly focused on her ambition. In the contemporary streaming era, we see a lot of these "B-tier" animated films get buried on the fourth row of a Netflix menu, but Ballerina feels like it belongs on a big screen. It’s a reminder that a simple story, told with enough kinetic energy and a catchy hook, can still punch way above its weight class.

Ultimately, Ballerina succeeds because it doesn't try to be anything other than a joyous, slightly manic celebration of following a dream. It’s got enough slapstick to keep the kids from fidgeting and enough genuine respect for the art of dance to satisfy the enthusiasts. It might not have the philosophical depth of Soul or the visual revolutionary status of Spider-Verse, but it’s got a huge heart and a soundtrack that will stay stuck in your head for a week. If you can forgive a little bit of historical nonsense, it’s a leap worth taking.