Surf’s Up is an animated comedy that delves behind the scenes of the highoctane world of competitive surfing. The film profiles teenage Rockhopper penguin Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf), an up-and-coming surfer, as he enters his first pro competition. Followed by a camera crew to document his experiences, Cody leaves his family and home in Shiverpool, Antarctica to travel to Pen Gu Island for the Big Z Memorial Surf Off. Along the way, Cody meets surf nut Chicken Joe (Jon Heder), famous surf promoter Reggie Belafonte (James Woods), surf talent scout Mikey Abromowitz (Mario Cantone), and spirited lifeguard Lani Aliikai (Zooey Deschanel), all of whom recognize Cody’s passion for surfing, even if it sometimes goes too far. Cody believes that winning will bring him the admiration and respect he desires, but when he unexpectedly comes face-to-face with a washed-up old surfer named Geek (Jeff Bridges), Cody begins to find his own way, and discovers that a true winner isn’t always the one who comes in first.


Sony Pictures didn't have much luck with their first computer animated film Open Season, and their next one is a movie about surfing penguins called Surf's Up. Whether it's good or not, it kind of seems like they're riding on Happy Feet's coattails. If Sony's animation division is going to compete with powerhouses like DreamWorks and Disney/Pixar, they're going to have to do better than this.

Surf’s Up may not be able to compete with better movies like Shrek 3 or Ratatouille, but it’s certain to make a lot of money. It’s computer animated, and that still means big box office numbers. It’s amazing, but audiences still haven’t figured out that CGI doesn’t necessarily mean good movie. We’ve had computer animated movies for more than a decade, and it’s bizarre that audiences continue to show up for them no matter how much they suck. It’s become more of a habit than anything, I’m convinced people aren’t going to see them because they like them but because somehow they think they’re supposed to. Expect a lot of ticket buyers going through the motions this summer for Surf’s Up.

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