What the world needs now is not another penguin movie, it would seem, following the animated "Happy Feet" and the documentary "March of the Penguins," both Oscar winners, as well as the spoof "Farce of the Penguins" and movies such as "Madagascar" in which penguins steal the show. But this one's so different from its predecessors, and so different from the slew of animated films that have come out in the past couple of years, it's hard not to be charmed.
"Surf's Up" has a totally inspired vibe: It plays like a Christopher Guest-style mockumentary, complete with deadpan humor, improvised dialogue and hand-held "camera work" -- or rather, its CGI equivalent. In going behind the scenes at the Big Z Memorial Surf Off on Pen Gu Island, directors and co-writers Chris Buck ("Tarzan") and Ash Brannon ("Toy Story 2") allow us to see a boom mic dipping into the frame, or a shot that's out of focus. We hear off-camera interviewers (Buck and Brannon themselves) ask questions of their subjects, and the sensation that we're really watching something spontaneous provides a giddy thrill.
Shia LaBeouf, meanwhile, deviates from the cutesy-hyper delivery you'd expect from the genre as the confident, laid-back voice of Cody Maverick, a young penguin surfer hoping to win the competition. He has great chemistry with Jeff Bridges as a retired local legend who becomes his reluctant mentor. Additional Information:
Details
'Surf's Up'PG for mild language and some rude humor;
