Surf's Up (2007)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Directors:

Ash Brannon
Chris Buck

Writers:

Don Rhymer (screenplay) and
Ash Brannon (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

8 June 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Family | Sport

Tagline:

Hang six Summer 2007.

Plot:

A behind-the-scenes look at the annual Penguin World Surfing Championship, and its newest participant, up-and-comer Cody Maverick.

Plot Keywords:

Surfing | Penguin | Island | Competition | Chicken

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Shia LaBeouf	...	Cody Maverick (voice)
Jeff Bridges	...	Zeke 'Big Z' Topanga / 'Geek' (voice)
Zooey Deschanel	...	Lani Aliikai (voice)
Jon Heder	...	Chicken Joe (voice)
James Woods	...	Reggie Belafonte (voice)
Diedrich Bader	...	Tank 'The Shredder' Evans (voice)
Mario Cantone	...	Mikey Abromowitz (voice)
Kelly Slater	...	Kelly (voice)
Rob Machado	...	Rob (voice)
Sal Masekela	...	SPEN Announcer (voice)
Ash Brannon	...	Filmmaker (voice)
Chris Buck	...	Filmmaker (voice)
Brian Posehn	...	Glen Maverick (voice)
Dana Belben	...	Edna Maverick (voice) (as Dana L. Belben)
Reed Buck	...	Arnold (voice)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Singapore:G | UK:PG | Ireland:G | South Africa:A | Canada:G (all jurisdictions) | USA:PG (certificate #41481) | Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/6 (original version) | Portugal:M/4 (dubbed version) | Mexico:AA | Germany:o.Al. | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | South Korea:All | Switzerland:0 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:0 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:AL | Brazil:Livre | Taiwan:GP | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | Norway:A | Denmark:A | Australia:G | Italy:T

Company:

Sony Pictures Animation

Trivia:

The layout department used a special motion-capture camera system mounted on an old Sony video camera to give the illusion that the movie was actually being made with a real hand-held video camera. This was used to make the film look like a documentary.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the argument with Big Z, Cody rips his big Z necklace off and during his walk to the line up its clearly seen that he's no longer wearing it, However in the long shot of the line up, you can see that Cody has the necklace on..and then in the following closeup its gone again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Filmmaker: Quiet on the set. And we're rolling. Cody Maverick interview, take one.
Cody Maverick: So why are you guys here to interview me?

Movie Connections:

References Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (2003) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Pocket Full of Stars

I will not comment on Happy Feet in this review

They both have penguins. Big Deal. Whoops...does that count as a comment? Anyway, "Surfs Up" is not a terribly original but fresh and new hilarious comedy just in time to kick off summer. Shot in a unique mocumentary style (that may possibly fly over the heads of youngsters), the visuals are flashy and the look of the film digests well. Water animation seems to be rapidly progressing. The sand forms foot prints. The palm fronds sway in the wind. The film looks great. The story is a cliché, and we know what will happen in the end. The point of the film isn't however to construct philosophical debate, have an amazing story or even create memorable characters. It's a fun comedy, and it's humor is more sophisticated then other past animated comedies such are "Shrek 3". It has a more subtle reflexive quality. We know the story, the characters, and we know the familiar plot (quite like last year's "Cars"), but it isn't the fact that they're penguins that makes the film funny. We only get a few moments were the penguins act "penguiny". They are what they are for pure aesthetic value. A bipedal animal (perfect for surfing) that usually dwells among ice makes for a more pleasing artistic scope. And we're bored with humans. The film succeeds with it's sense of wit. A character like tank, another reflexive villainous character like Peter La Fleur from "Dodgeball", is a hoot to watch. The same for main protagonist Cody Maverick, a familiar trophy craving teen who is easily out of place amongst the elders. The film will win no Oscars, but animated films need not be restricted to epic stories and exercises in perfection. However, it is rather uncomfortable that the genre in America is restricting itself to this type of humor. Or really, does all animation have to be humorous even? But, at least this film takes the convention one step further. The documentary style doesn't wear out its welcome or include any truly objectable material for a PG film, and with a sparing running time of 85 minutes, it's fun to see something different.