The animated mock documentary "Surf's Up" is a delightfully rendered summer diversion in which a tiny Rockhopper penguin named Cody Maverick aspires to be a surfing champion. 1 O- {) D8 N8 u& p
3 Y7 z, T$ W# V. A, gYoung Cody (voiced by Shia LaBeouf) is discovered in his native Shiverpool by a shrill, showbiz savvy shorebird named Mikey Abromowitz, who whisks him off to the idyllic island of Pen Gu to compete in the Big Z Memorial Surf-Off. Once there, Cody is mentored reluctantly by a surfing legend, the bigger-than-life but extremely laid-back King Geek (Jeff Bridges).
' p3 A$ [! d" k3 j2 ]8 d, d2 O7 h
3 C/ s4 A" ^+ e7 D$ x* uDirected by Ash Brannon and Chris Buck, "Surf's Up" parodies sports documentaries and television surf coverage, instilling the movie with an X Games vibe. The surfing action replicates and at times surpasses the real thing, and the fabricated "vintage footage" is a wonder to look at. Interviews with Cody and his family conducted by a comically intrusive documentary crew lead up to the flightless little bird's inevitable showdown with Emperor penguin Tank "the Shredder" Evans, nine-time winner of the Surf-Off. 8 P5 d; R6 L+ |. W* f) M4 w
4 e5 h+ G* P p! w2 A! k' lVisually, the movie benefits from impressively inventive technical animation-from the crystalline waves to the sandy beaches, every detail suggests a parallel reality where penguins really do surf. 0 ?6 ]( V9 j6 {: N
! X9 S+ Y5 K7 l* m$ X7 mWhile many of the riffs in the mock documentary might be lost on the little tykes, everyone should enjoy the film's feel-good message of perseverance, friendship and finding your own wave. |