Surf's Up (2007)

A behind-the-scenes look at the annual Penguin World Surfing Championship, and its newest participant, up-and-comer Cody Maverick.

Directors:

Ash Brannon, Chris Buck

Writers:

Don Rhymer (screenplay), Ash Brannon (screenplay),

Stars:

Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shia LaBeouf	...	Cody Maverick (voice)
Jeff Bridges	...	Zeke 'Big Z' Topanga / 'Geek' (voice)
Zooey Deschanel	...	Lani Aliikai (voice)
Jon Heder	...	Chicken Joe (voice)
James Woods	...	Reggie Belafonte (voice)
Diedrich Bader	...	Tank 'The Shredder' Evans (voice)
Mario Cantone	...	Mikey Abromowitz (voice)
Kelly Slater	...	Kelly (voice)
Rob Machado	...	Rob (voice)
Sal Masekela	...	SPEN Announcer (voice)
Ash Brannon	...	Filmmaker (voice)
Chris Buck	...	Filmmaker (voice)
Brian Posehn	...	Glen Maverick (voice)
Dana Belben	...	Edna Maverick (voice) (as Dana L. Belben)
Reed Buck	...	Arnold (voice)

Storyline

This story follows a teenage rock hopper penguin named Cody Maverick from his hometown of Shiverpool, Antarctica, where all of the other penguins think he's nothing but a surfing fool, to the "Big Z Memorial Surf Off" on Pen Gu Island. Young Cody is determined to win the most important competition in the world of penguin surfing in honor of "Big Z," a deceased surfing legend whom he has idolized since childhood. But the waves in Pen Gu are different than in Shiverpool, and the competition is steep. The current champ, egotistical Tank Evans, isn't just about to let this little penguin knock him from first place without a fight. When Cody wipes out and encounters Geek, a recluse aging former surfer, living in the jungle, he learns some important lessons about life and surfing, and even teaches Geek a thing or two.

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Plot Keywords:

surfing | penguin | competition | island | chicken | 

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Taglines:

Hang six Summer 2007.

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Genres:

Animation | Comedy | Family | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild language and some rude humor

Details

Official Sites:

Columbia [fr] Official site [br]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 June 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los reyes de las olas

Box Office

Budget:

$85,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£601,289 (UK) (10 August 2007)

Gross:

£4,356,423 (UK) (5 October 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sony Pictures Animation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The night time footage was shot on a different, slightly grainier stock.

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Goofs

After Cody talks to Lani for the first time, he and Chicken Joe walk away talking. Cody mentions Lani by name; however, Lani never told Cody her name.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Filmmaker: Quiet on the set. And we're rolling. Cody Maverick interview, take one.
Cody Maverick: So why are you guys here to interview me?

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Crazy Credits

Hang on after the credits for a funny scene with Glen and Edna Maverick (Cody's brother and mother) with the film crew.

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Connections

References I Dream of Jeannie (1965)

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Soundtracks

"Into Yesterday"
Written and Produced by Charles Stan Frazier (as Stan Frazier) and Steve Fox
Performed by Sugar Ray

User Reviews

"...and you're sittin' on top of the world..."

Cody Maverick(Shia LeBouf), a rock-hopper penguin and native of Shiverpool, Antarctica, truly lives up to his surname, unlike his highly domestic mother and brother. He seems quite talented as far as finding his own way--he surfs when others fish, surfs when others sit on eggs, he surfs because that's who he is. The legend of Big Z, the emperor penguin who changed surfing forever, helped to make Maverick a maverick. So when neurotic event liaison bird Mikey Abromowitz (Mario Cantone) appears with a chance to compete in the annual "Big Z Memorial" competition, Cody literally jumps into the chance. Along the way, he meets characters such as Joe (Jon Heder, well-cast once again), a surfing chicken from Michigan, and Lani Aliikai (Zooey Deschanel), a lifeguard penguin who also knows a thing or two about Big Z. Like most other heroes of animated film, Cody learns something about what really matters, but don't let that put you off. This is some true summer fun, kept low-key, which, hopefully, will make this the sleeper hit of summer. Everyone is nicely cast, and the characters are easy to care about (that's saying a lot for modern cinema right there). The film looks wonderful as well--nice character design almost gets dwarfed by the environments, as the folks at Sony Animation show that they have successfully taught computers the difference between freezing, harsh Antarctic Ocean and beautiful, blue, tropical ocean. Truly stunning.

I feel I should also mention the soundtrack; no Beach Boys, but still appropriate. If you've been waiting to hear Incubus, Green Day, or Lauryn Hill in more film soundtracks, now's your chance. The mockumentary approach makes it even more engaging while amping the laughs. Christopher Guest would be proud. All in all, if you're looking for a break from all the holler and hoopla that summer movies bring, and as Big Z says, you're ready to just have some fun, catch a wave...