Surf’s Up
Directors:
Ash Brannon
Chris Buck
Writers:
Don Rhymer (screenplay) and
Ash Brannon (screenplay) …
Contact:
View company contact information for Surf’s Up on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 June 2007 (USA)
Genre:
Animation | Comedy | Family | Sport
Tagline:
Hang six Summer 2007.
Plot:
A behind-the-scenes look at the annual Penguin World Surfing Championship, and its newest participant, up-and-comer Cody Maverick
This story follows a teenage rock hopper penguin named Cody Maverick from his hometown of Shiverpool, Antarctica, where all of the other penguins think he’s nothing but a surfing fool, to the “Big Z Memorial Surf Off” on Pen Gu Island. Young Cody is determined to win the most important competition in the world of penguin surfing in honor of “Big Z,” a deceased surfing legend whom he has idolized since childhood. But the waves in Pen Gu are different than in Shiverpool, and the competition is steep. The current champ, egotistical Tank Evans, isn’t just about to let this little penguin knock him from first place without a fight. When Cody wipes out and encounters Geek, a recluse aging former surfer, living in the jungle, he learns some important lessons about life and surfing, and even teaches Geek a thing or two
The animated feature, Surfs Up started with a unique premise. It is partially a narrative story, and partially a mockumentry. I dont see many animated features, since I have no vocally gifted, but self-control challenged ankle biters in my home to gently persuade me to make that kind of movie choice. Its not an unpleasant 85 minutes. It starts slow, but soon offers some absolutely amazing water CGI, a few classic tunes and a decent story, that is interesting enough, but could have used some punching up in the humour department.
Shia LaBeouf (Disturbia) provides the voice of Cody Maverick, a young penguin who dreams of winning the biggest penguin surfing competition of the year. His pursuit of this goal is the chosen subject of documentary makers who interview, him, his friends and surfing fans along the way. This is kinda cool, but also a disturbing celebration of our media/fame-obsessed culture, but what the hell, its just a kids movie. Anyway, in his travels, he hooks up with a surfing chicken (voice by Jon Heder), is smitten by a beautiful, penguin lifeguard (Zooey Deschanel) and finds both an enemy (Bader) and a mentor (Bridges, who is great, sorta reprising his Dude character) and passes on the message that we should do what we love, because we love it, not because we want to win at it. That kinda struck home with me, sitting here writing my 150th review for free. No tears, please. Just send money.
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