It's an alternate history. In 1870, Napoleon III meets with scientist Gustave Franklin who is developing a serum to turn animals into super soldiers. Two lizards escape and an explosion kills everybody. The young Napoleon IV signs a peace treaty with Prussia and thereby extending the Napoleonic age into the future. Scientists disappear and the world remains stuck in the steam age. Coal and Europe's forest have been used up. In 1931, the government is kidnapping any remaining scientists to prepare for impending war. The Franklin family is continuing their research into the invulnerable serum. Inspector Pizoni fails in their arrest and vows to avenge his demotion. The parents disappear after being attacked by a lightning black cloud. April (Marion Cotillard) escapes with her serum-altered talking cat Darwin. Ten years later, Julius is working for Pizoni to keep track of April and her grandfather Pops. April hopes to finish her parents' work and ends up uncovering a shocking conspiracy.This is a fascinating world. The animation is interesting. It's comic book animation. I would stay with April more consistently and keep the reveal secret longer. Revealing the parents so early takes away some of the tension. It could be a more compelling shock. April needs more comedic scenes to add to her appeal. She's a little stiff. The talking cat could have been fun except for his sickness. Nevertheless, the overall sense is one of a good adventure.

This animation tells the story of a post Napoleon would, where all scientists are captured, and the world becomes very different due to a lack of technology. The last surviving free scientists strive hard to create the serum that can make life perpetual, but mysterious forces are after them.The colour scheme of the animation is dark and dull. The characters are not cute either, and therefore it's hard for me to develop a liking for it. Though the story is quite engaging, I still don't find myself developing a connection with April and her experiences. The normally careful April all of a sudden trusts a stranger appearing from nowhere doesn't make sense, which annoys me quite a bit. Overall, the story is strong but has a loophole or two. I would have liked it better if the colour scheme was brighter.

"Steampunk is ... a joyous fantasy of the past, allowing us to revel in a nostalgia for what never was. It is a literary playground for adventure, spectacle, drama, escapism and exploration. But most of all it is fun!" George Mann April and the Extraordinary World is an animated French adventure for the whole family (I recommend about 8 years and older) reminiscent of the fantastic 'toons of Hayao Miyazaki (think of Howl's Moving Castle). Leading us through an alternate steampunk history of modern France, April (voice of Marion Cotillard) is a little girl whose scientist parents in 1941 were abducted by the "Empire" to advance the cause, in this case by creating an immortality drug.With her charming talking cat(a product of the scientists' experiments), April spends her youth confronting malevolent forces like a driven policeman (Javert anyone?), a roguish boy, and nature itself. Not one moment of the 1 hr 45 min is wasted; each is crafted under the expert direction of Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci for maximum adventure and humanity (for example, love may be blooming and Grandpa Pops is feistier than ever).The graphics as well are outstanding in the steampunk visual style with the omnipresent steam and pipes, furtive surveillance rodents, bicycle-powered blimps, and suspended trolleys, among some of the creative expressions. Although great advances such as the use of electricity and oil have not been discovered, the above-mentioned steam objects awe April as she navigates this alternate universe of coal and wood.Conservationists shouldn't despair, for there are numerous references to the need to use coal, for instance, responsibly—already coughs are in the ambient sound. The suggestion that without the invention and use of atomic energy and fossil fuel, the world could have been stuck in an ecological disaster is an intriguingly benign take on modern energy.The extraordinary April and the Extraordinary World is nothing if not an invitation for girls to follow their dreams and create as their talents demand. For all children it is a call to be bold and responsible as they enter the real modern world.

Avril's Extraordinary world is an alternative time line in which Napoleon V rules France and the scientist that help built the foundations of technology are missing, forcing the world into a steam punk setting, and Avril a young scientist herself has the key to our future. It's animated quite beautifully. I'm a huge fan of steam punk and I love seeing the design all over the movie. I also like the style of 3D animation blended with computer generated images. It's always a welcome change to see this other than the world we live in right now that is dominated by 3D animation. It was a great adventure film, filed with character and characters that were smart and funny, and accessible to everyone.Good watch.