Surf's Up
A Major Ocean Picture
An animated comedy that goes behind the scenes of the high-octane world of competitive surfing. The film profiles teenage Rockhopper penguin Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf), an up-and-coming surfer, as he enters his first pro competition. Followed by a camera crew to document his experiences, Cody leaves his family and home in Shiverpool, Antarctica to travel to Pen Gu Island for the Big Z Memorial Surf Off. Along the way, Cody meets surf nut Chicken Joe (Jon Heder), legendary surf promoter Reggie Belafonte (James Woods), surf scout Mikey Abromowitz (Mario Cantone), and spirited lifeguard Lani Aliikai (Zooey Deschanel), who all recognize his passion for surfing... even if it sometimes goes too far. Cody believes that winning will bring him the admiration and respect he desires, but when he unexpectedly comes face-to-face with a washed up old surfer named Geek (Jeff Bridges), Cody begins to understand that a true winner is the one who's having the most fun.
Member Reviews
Cute Penguin Movie - hilkayaker
I thought this was fun. Really a cute movie for sitting at home on a rainy day. The characters were funny and the main character really drew you in. Great story, cute plot, all around not bad movie. .Hilarious family movie - dreag21
I enjoyed this movie from the first moment. The documentary-spoof style of the film created instant interest and set it apart of other animated features.
The minor story lines absolutely contributed to the overall humour and did not confuse the main plot. As expected there was a good lesson buried in the story but it wasn't contrite.
Chicken Joe was the funniest character and totally stole the show. The special features were pretty amusing too.
All in all, this was one sweet ride dude!Surf's up ... way up! - BlackSheep
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love me some penguin. Of course, I am referring to the line of clothing and not the waddling bird. Regardless, I too fell in love with the emperor penguins along with the rest of the world a couple of years back when THE MARCH OF THE PENGUINS swept the summer documentary box office. That was the same summer the mischievous animated penguins of MADAGASCAR had people begging for more (which they were unfortunately given months later with the dreadfully drab short, A CHRISTMAS CAPER). Penguins were all the rage. After winning the Best Documentary OSCAR, the penguin love only continued to grow with the holiday hit, HAPPY FEET. The premise there, after essentially crafting an animated reenactment of the mating ritual outlined in the aforementioned documentary, penguins sing to express themselves while one dances instead. HAPPY FEET was a big success and went on to a surprising win for Best Animated Feature at last year’s Academy Awards. And so the trend continues with another animated feature about penguins, SURF’S UP. Only now it may seem the public is growing weary of these tuxed-up birds. Perhaps there is only so much penguin love to go around. It’s a shame really because SURF’S UP may be the best of the (animated) bunch.
SURF’S UP also makes sure to bang home an important lesson for the kids. After all, this is a summer family film and there needs to be a lesson learned. Cody learns a number of things along his way but they all amount to understanding a thing or two about patience. “Winning isn’t everything” and “There are more important things to life than winning” make appearances but what is most important is the philosophy that will help Cody win out overall. Stop fighting and learn to ride the wave.
Member Reviews
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Cute Penguin Movie - hilkayaker
I thought this was fun. Really a cute movie for sitting at home on a rainy day. The characters were funny and the main character really drew you in. Great story, cute plot, all around not bad movie. .Hilarious family movie - dreag21
I enjoyed this movie from the first moment. The documentary-spoof style of the film created instant interest and set it apart of other animated features.
The minor story lines absolutely contributed to the overall humour and did not confuse the main ...Surf's up ... way up! - BlackSheep
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love me some penguin. Of course, I am referring to the line of clothing and not the waddling bird. Regardless, I too fell in love with the emperor penguins along with the rest of the world a couple of years back when THE ...