Ballerina

It's a long way from a Breton orphanage to the bright lights of Paris, but plucky Félicie (voiced by Elle Fanning) is a young girl determined to dance in the ballet in this French-Canadian animated feature. In 1879, before the Eiffel Tower was erected and while the Statue of Liberty was still being readied for transport to New York, the gleaming, ornate Paris Opera stands tall and captivates our young heroine. Her junior inventor pal Victor (Dane DeHaan) helps her escape to the big smoke, however fulfilling her ambition will require luck, cunning, hard work and deliver a few valuable life lessons along the way. The screenplay works in a few well-rehearsed moves, which will appeal to a pre-teen girlie demographic. A few more laughs and better songs would not go amiss, but the central character remains likeable throughout, while a sledgehammer-swinging stage mother makes a formidable villain. The soaring dance choreography may not satisfy purists, but presents a joyously liberating take on the ballet that is sure to thrill youngsters.