SpenniesPaddle On Out For Surf’s Up!
June 13th 2007 03:34
Cody (voiced by star-to-watch Shia LaBeouf) is a fatherless penguin with the desire to win the upcoming Penguin World Surfing Championship. So, Cody up and leaves his home of Shiverpool, Antarctica with winning on his mind. But after a humbling experience in the preliminary challenge, Cody’s love interest, Lani (a honey of a penguin voiced by Zooey Deschanel) takes him to her uncle’s to recover from his wipeout. Uncle Geek (played by a hilarious Jeff Bridges) decides to help Cody win. It turns out that Uncle Geek is actually Big Z - Cody’s longtime surfing idol. Cody learns that Big Z left the sport after it was tainted by competitiveness. Big Z teaches, Cody learns.
Along the way, Cody has befriended a surfing chicken, Chicken Joe (voice talent John Heder of Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory fame) who may not have the best in the brains department, but he sure can surf! Stoner or not! (We just can’t tell in the film).
And don’t forget the broadcasting penguins from SPEN (the Sports Penguin Entertainment Network) that just make the movie go over the top. There are dynamic performances by nonstop talking James Woods as Reggie, the competition’s promoter without an ounce of shame and Mario Cantone as Mikey, a talent scout wound so tight you are just waiting for him to lay an egg with a watch inside.
By the end of the movie (and the awesome surfing scenes) Cody learns that making the right choices, the right stands, are more valuable than any prize offered. The point of the entire film? Friendship, sportsmanship, and doing something you love doesn’t always have to be rewarded for you to win at what you do.
What I applaud is the fresh approach to the CGI field: a reality documentary. Boom mikes drop into shots, film is scratchy at times; the characters are staring off screen during interviews, and speak directly to the “camera” at times as well. Footage of the water is gorgeous, complete with froth and foam and flawless texture. This movie keeps your attention.
The small subplots are great as well. My little one fell in love with the adorable little penguin, Arnold, who would purposely throw himself into the water to get a rescue from Lani. TOO CUTE!
In a society where winning is everything from Super Bowl Sunday, to NASCAR, Surf’s Up was a welcomed treat. Who cares about winning if you did your best? That is all that matters! And that is what is most endearing to me about this film. Do what you love because you love it, not because there is trophy to win. If you get it, great! If not, hey, you got to do something you loved for a time. This movie has more purpose than Happy Feet, in my opinion.
I give this movie four and a half out of five stars. Families, I give this a green light for small ones. However, please note that this movie is rated PG for mild language and rude humor. Still, this is one we will have in our DVD library at home as soon as it hits the shelves.
Running time: 81 minutes.
Rated PG
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