Surf's Up Dude!

Penguins, like superheroes, seem to be the "in thing" in Hollywood right now. The penguins first conquered us with March of the Penguins, after which we got to watch Happy Feet; this summer not only do we have a surfing superhero movie, but also surfing penguins in Surf's up (imdb, rottentomatoes).

Surf's Up is an animated movie that appeals to both kids and adults. It is presented like NBC's sitcom, The Office, a camera crew interviewing a bunch of penguin surfers, in particular a young surfer named Cody (voice by Shia LaBeouf). He is inspired by the greatest surfer in penguin history, Big Z (voice by Jeff Bridges), and persues his dreams by entering a surfing competition.

The movie reminds me of North Shore (1989), which has a similar premise. However, even though the two movies might have similarities, Surf's Up delivers well. It is packed with some really good humor and awesome animation, and is one of the better movies of this summer (so far).