Surf's Up

Now Showing

On Sky Movies Comedy 09/12/09 12:00

Director: Chris Buck, Ash Brannon

Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, James Woods, Jeff Bridges, Jon Heder

Year: 2007 Running Time: 85 mins Rating:

The march of Hollywood’s penguins continues with the animated antics of Cody, a teenage Rockhopper with a surfing dream. With a film crew following his every cutback and tailslide, Cody aims to honour his idol by winning the Big Z Memorial Surf Off... aided by a pretty lifeguard, a brain-fried chicken and a tubby hermit whose belly belies his board skills. Shia LaBoeuf, Jeff Bridges and James Woods hang ten as the voice cast of a splashy caper with an amusing ‘mockumentary’ spin.

Review

As far as studios are concerned, there is nothing more black-and-white than a balance sheet. So after the till-ringing, Oscar-winning success of March Of The Penguins and Happy Feet (as well as the penguin-powered Madagascar), another flightless fancy was inevitable.

Unfortunately, it seems that the penguins’ wave of popularity has crested: relatively speaking, Surf’s Up almost did a US box office wipe-out.

This, of course, is no indication of quality. The animation is certainly up to scratch (particularly the watery action) and the mock-documentary angle adds a freshness sadly lacking in recent cartoon contrivances like Shrek The Third.

We join a documentary team in Shiverpool, Antarctica, to track the progress of flippery surf dude Cody Maverick - voiced by fast-rising Transformers star Shia Laboeuf in his fifth movie release of 2007 – as he makes a bid for surfing stardom.

Cody almost misses his chance, but eventually secures his passage to Pen Gu Island, the tropical location of the annual surfing competition held in the memory of legendary champion Big Z.

The event’s wily promoter Reggie Belafonte (Woods) – essentially Don King in otter form - can’t wait to see the young upstart take on reigning champ Tank Evans, an egotistical Emperor with a Barry White streak.

Cody’s first taste of Tank ends in embarrassment. His pride is partly restored by zoned-out new pal Chicken Joe (Jon ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ Heder) and baywatching chick Lani (Zooey Deschanel), but it’s Lani’s reclusive, flabby uncle (Bridges) who proves to be a surprisingly surf-savvy mentor.

Cody’s quest comes with all the usual kid-ucational messages - never give up; find your own way; winning isn’t everything; yada-yada-yada – but there’s enough chirp and cheek to keep the preachiness at bay.