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Surf's Up
Directed by: Ash Brannon and Chris Buck
Starring: Shia LaBeouf
Genre:
Animated
Run Time: 85
min.
Release Date:
June 2007
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Sony Pictures is keeping
pace with the other giants of the animation industry: Pixar (recent
release RATATOUILLE)
and Dreamworks (new release THE BEE MOVIE starring Jerry Seinfeld’s
voice). In fact, I’d dare say that SURF’S UP may top these other two
simply by the nature of its filming technique.
Whereas animation has made technical leaps and bounds over the past two
decades, it has not, however, done much to improve the rather bland
storytelling that comes with it (‘desperate hero struggles, fails, gets
back up, tries again, succeeds, marries the hot chick, end of story’).
And although Surf’s Up slips into this cliché, it does it in a most
unique fashion that helps one forget that we’re seeing the same old
story again.
This time we get an animated mockumentary (who ever thought of this
should get a serious pat on the back!) Handheld camera movements. Star
interviews. Kids’ commentary. It’s all there. The story is that of Cody
(Shia LaBeouf, TRANSFORMERS), a surfboard loving penguin stuck in
Antarctica ...until he’s selected to compete in a world championship
against surfing giant Tank Evans (Diedrich Bader,
BALLS OF FURY). Cody
fell in love with surfing after his little frozen home was visited years
before by then surfing phenom Big Z (Jeff Bridges,
TIDELAND).
Unfortunately Big Z died catching a huge wave and was lost forever. Or
was he?
Once at the competition, Cody realizes he’s way out of his league. Tank
is bigger, stronger, more talented, and perhaps too infatuated with his
trophies? With buddy Chicken Joe (Jon Heder, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE) at his
side, Cody and he soon run into the beautiful Lani (Zooey Deschanel,
FAILURE TO LAUNCH), a penguin lifeguard that immediately infatuates
Cody. After saving Cody’s life, Lani introduces him to her uncle Geek.
It doesn’t take long for Cody to realize that Geek is Big Z, hiding away
in the tropical forest of the island and securely away from the
water/beach. Hero-worship turns to anger turns to friendship as Big Z
helps Cody as much as Cody helps Big Z.
The story is similar to all animated ones, but the documentary-style
filming gives Surf’s Up a bump up on the success scale. It’s funny and
not entirely for young kids. There are peeing and poop jokes (including
the word “crap”), and violent scenes that might turn off
some parents. Still, it’s original enough to get a big thumbs up and
funny enough for adults and teens.
(For another fantastic animated feature I highly recommend
HOODWINKED!,
an independent film that is sure to please kids and adults alike.)
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Image from Surf's Up
DVD cost: $21.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
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.
Movie Quote: "They
treat me as their king and put me in a hot tub."
Other (Voice)Actors/Actresses
from Surf's Up
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