Surf’s Up wants to be a surfing documentary. It wants to be a coming-of-age story. It wants to be a comedy about a kid who learns to let go of winning. It mostly succeeds, but it succeeds in fits and starts.
The film follows Cody Maverick, a young penguin from Shiverpool, Antarctica, who dreams of surfing professionally. When a talent scout named Michael Abromowitz shows up to find entrants for the Big Z Memorial surfing competition on Pen-Gu Island, Cody proves his skills and earns a spot. The movie is built around a mockumentary framing device, complete with a narrator and interviews with the characters, and it leans heavily on satire of real surfing documentaries like The Endless Summer, Step Into Liquid, and Riding Giants.
Trailer, via Sony Pics at Home.
Cody Maverick and the Big Z Memorial
Cody is voiced by Shia LaBeouf, and he plays the role straight. He is determined, a little arrogant, and completely convinced that winning the Big Z Memorial will finally earn him respect. His idol is Big Z, a famous surfer emperor penguin named Zeke Topanga, whom Cody met years ago. Big Z died a decade before the film’s events.
The competition itself is the central plot engine. Cody faces off against Tank “The Shredder” Evans, a mean-spirited king penguin who has won the event nine times since its creation. Cody’s first attempt ends badly. He nearly drowns and gets stung by a sea urchin named Ivan, leaving a poisonous spine stuck in his foot. He is rescued by Lani Aliikai, a female gentoo penguin who is a lifeguard on the island.
Chicken Joe and the Chill Factor
Chicken Joe, a chill rooster surfer from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, becomes Cody’s best friend on the trip to Pen-Gu Island. He is voiced by Jon Heder, and he provides the film’s comic relief. Cody and Chicken Joe bond quickly, and their friendship forms the emotional core of the story. The two share a similar outsider status, both chasing a dream that their families do not fully understand.
“A major ocean picture.”
The film’s title promises a big ocean story, and the setup delivers on that promise. The entire setup is a parody of the way surfing documentaries present their subjects as larger-than-life figures. The animation team even motion-captured a physical camera operator’s moves to get the desired hand-held documentary feel. This attention to detail is one of the film’s strengths.
The Cast and Their Voices
The voice cast is strong across the board. Jeff Bridges voices Big Z, and he brings warmth and gravitas to the role. He is the reason Cody started surfing, and his memory hangs over the whole story. Zooey Deschanel voices Lani, and she is warm and funny as the island’s lifeguard. James Woods voices Reggie Belafonte, a villainous competitor who is clearly jealous of Cody’s potential.
Diedrich Bader voices Tank Evans, and he is perfectly cast as the smug, overconfident champion. Mario Cantone voices Michael Abromowitz, the talent scout who gives Cody his chance. Kelly Slater and Rob Machado appear as themselves, with their penguin surfer counterparts voiced by Kelly Slater and Rob Machado respectively. Selema Masekela voices the SPEN announcer, and Ash Brannon and Chris Buck voice the filmmakers.
The Animation and the Hand-Held Feel
The animation is the technical highlight. The film was produced by Sony Pictures Animation, and the motion-capture work pays off visually. The camera movements feel natural, and the documentary framing keeps the audience engaged even during quieter stretches.
The pacing is where the film stumbles. Some sequences drag, particularly the travel montage between Shiverpool and Pen-Gu Island. The film spends too much time establishing the world and the rules of the competition before it lets Cody and Chicken Joe’s friendship breathe. The middle stretch slows down, and the energy dips.
Geek and the Beach Path
Geek, a recluse who lives in a tree in the middle of the island, is the film’s most interesting character. He is voiced by Ash Brannon, and he serves as a mentor figure to Cody. After Cody is rescued from the sea urchin sting, Lani takes him to Geek to recover. Cody wakes up, but he cannot find the souvenir necklace given to him by Big Z when he was young.
Geek leaves Cody at the pathway leading back to the beach, then finds the necklace in his hut. He is hesitant to return the accessory. Cody is hesitant to return, still embarrassed by his earlier wipeout. While returning the necklace, Geek finds Cody sitting on a koa log and offers to help him make a surfboard. Cody’s previous boards were all made out of ice, and the contrast between the two materials is a small but effective running gag.
The Sequel and the TV Series
Surf’s Up was released in the United States on June 8, 2007, by Sony Pictures Releasing. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the animation, humor, and unique mockumentary setup. The film grossed $152 million against a budget of $100 million, and it was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 80th Academy Awards.
A sequel, Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania, was released in 2017. A TV series is currently in development at Atomic Cartoons.
Verdict
Surf’s Up is a competent, occasionally brilliant animated film that struggles to sustain its energy across its full runtime. The mockumentary framing is clever, the voice cast is excellent, and the animation is technically impressive. But the pacing issues in the middle keep it from greatness.
Here is how the film breaks down:
- Cody’s determination and arrogance are well-played by LaBeouf.
- Chicken Joe’s chill energy is a welcome counterpoint.
- The documentary framing is clever and consistent.
- The animation is technically impressive.
- The middle stretch drags due to slow pacing.
- The resolution feels rushed.
Surf’s Up is worth a watch for fans of animated family comedies, but it is not essential viewing. It is a film that understands its own genre and executes it well, even when it falters.
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