Surf’s Up
Friday, January 11, 2008
3 GOOMBAS
SYNOPSIS: Cody Maverick is penguin surfer, and his childhood dream is to travel to the tropics and ride the waves just like his idol Big Z. His one chance of getting out of Shiverpool, Antarctica arrives when he is invited to the Penguin World Surfing Championship on Pen Gu Island , and it’s there that he finds his small town skill may not survive the big island surf.
The GOOM: Creatively and sophisticatedly animated (just look at that water!), Surf’s Up is a straight-forward “you can do anything when you set your mind to it” kind of story. It’s perfect for kids of all-ages, and you get to listen to my main man’s (Shia LaBeouf’s) wonderful, though smoke ridden, voice. The penguin’s distinct markings, made to mimic tattoo art, gives the characters a hip, yet still squeaky clean, vibe; the Chicken surfer was hysterical; and the chicks were cute and adorable. I'd also like to note the documentary style approach the movie took. Nice touch.
The BA: The story isn’t much to rave about. It’s just okay; nothing fancy or different, just okay. I’ve seen better movies, but this film isn’t all that bad either. I’d be indifferent if I didn’t call myself a critic (that’s with a lower case “c”).