Surf's
Up (2007)
Sony
Cast:
(Voices of) Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, James Woods, Zooey
Deschanel.
Rating:
G.
Run
time: 85 mins.
Genre:
Kids (from 9 to 90!).
Verdict:
Beautiful
(see rating
system)
As soon as I saw this animated stunner I thought
it had Oscar nomination stamped all over it - and sure enough
it got the nod from the awards panel in January 2008.
OK, so the the idea of surfing penguins doesn't
turn your crank? Please don't let it put you off enjoying
this hip flick from Sony, which features superb visuals and
a super cast of voice actors.
Hot young star Shia LaBeouf (who stars alongside
Harrison Ford in the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull) voices Cody, a teen penguin from Shiverpool,
Antartica who cherishes the memory of Big Z (Jeff Bridges)
- greatest penguin surfer of them all - visiting Shiverpool
and giving him a medallion.
Cody wants to be just as great as Big Z and
gets his chance years later when shady surfing talent scout
Reggie Belafonte (James Woods) comes to Shiverpool looking
for would-be champion boarders. Cody refuses to be rejected
and surfs up a storm to persuade Belafonte he's got what it
takes for the Big Z Memorial Surf-off.
Cody travels to exotic Pen Gu Island (think
Hawaii), where he bonds with fellow surfer Chicken Joe (Jon
Heder) and goes weak at his webbed feet for stunning lifeguard
Lani (Zooey Deschanel).
Cody, Chicken Joe and other competitors find
themselves up against bully boy surfer Tank Evans (Diedrich
Bader), who has ruled the surf since the day Big Z disappeared
in huge waves in the same competition years before.
After Cody barely survives his first ride he
seeks the special magic he needs to beat Tank and just might
find it in an aging, washed up surfer named Geek.
Thoroughly entertaining, Surf's Up features
some great animation, a strong story and dynamic voicings
and is one of the recent best comedy movies. A documentary
shows how the actors recorded their dialogue before the picture
was animated.
