a SIFF 2007 review
Penguins Again – This Time They Surf
Cocky Shiverpool youngster Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf, Disturbia) dreams of stardom and of becoming a world class surfer. He imagines a day when ye can leave the frigid Antarctic waters and head to Pen Gu Island and compete in the same major tournaments his idol the late Big Z used to dominate.
When he’s discovered by a feathered talent scout named Mikey (Mario Cantone, The Aristocrats), these dreams look like their headed for reality, the teen selected to be one the rookie competitors in the 10th Annual Big Z Memorial Surf Off run by greedy promoter Reggie Belafonte (James Woods, Pretty Persuasion). Befriending the loony if talented Chicken Joe (Jon Heder, Blades of Glory), things are looking grand for the wannabe penguin surfing superstar, nothing – but nothing – going to change his sunny disposition and growing excitement towards competing in the competition.
Make that almost nothing. After a humiliating encounter with nine-time Memorial Surf Off champion Tank Evans (Diedrich Bader, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous), Cody finds himself in the middle of the tropical forest hiding out with an overweight loser nicknamed Zeek (Jeff Bridges, The Door in the Floor) by overprotective lifeguard Lani (Zooey Deschanel, Bridge to Terabithia).
But this seeming loser isn’t who he pretends to be. Under his Zen-like guidance, Cody begins winning isn’t everything and that the best form of glory isn’t found in the metallic sheen of a polished trophy but in the beaming smile of gratitude from the best friend standing next to you.
I’m more than a little bit sick of penguins. Don’t be shy. Don’t try to hide behind some dark glasses or a raised blanket. It’s okay, really, because I know you’re sick of them, too. I mean, after Madagascar, March of the Penguins and Happy Feet (just to name three) who wouldn’t be? Sure penguins are cute, bobbing and weaving and bobbing and weaving and bobbing and weaving through way through the frozen tundra, but you can only watch them doing wild and crazy things (stealing boats, enduring brutal winters, singing and dancing, surfing) before it gets a little bit old.
Somehow, someway, Surf’s Up survives this problem, manages to be imaginatively entertaining almost in spite of itself. While the screenplay is a bit all over the place and amazingly cliché (not to mention shockingly rude, even for PG-rated post-Shrek animated film), the characterizations are all quite wonderful. Better, the whole mockumentary vibe (a film crew is following Cody around documenting his journey for a reality program) is actually pretty darn well done, the picture hitting just enough amusingly winning notes to never feel like a strain on either a person’s time or their attention.
The animation is also pretty darn great, too. I don’t know how many times directors Ash Brannon (Toy Story 2) and Chris Buck (Tarzan) watched Endless Summer, but they’ve somehow managed to craft a companion piece that’s nearly as visually seductive and inventive as that Bruce Brown classic. Whenever the penguins are out on the water this thing is spellbinding, the effortless wave of entertainment bliss crafted by the filmmakers an intoxicating shocker I’ll take any day of the week.
This is another penguin movie, though, and as much as parts of it stand in my mind like pleasing time capsules, I can’t say I was so taken with it to not claim my burnout still managed to sometimes get the better of me. The actors get some good mileage out of the material (especially Bridges, turning up The Dude mojo to maximum), and the water images certainly pack a punch, but I still couldn’t shake the over-familiar vibes emanating from this thing’s every move. I guess that means you could say Surf’s Up is hanging six, which, considering how we’re all feeling about our feathered friends wearing tuxedos is probably better than any of us ever could have expected.
Film Rating: êê1/2 (out of 4)
