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Surfs up mikey10/2/2023 The animation itself is top notch, with realistic surfing sequences (lots of beautifully lit tube shooting) and an eerie 'boneyard' of dangerous shore rocks. Championship surfers like Kelly Slater and Rob Machado appear in avian versions of themselves. Better is Reggie Belafonte (voice of James Woods, "Northfork"), an otter with Don King hair, who is a manipulative promoter with a cute, furry face. If there's a disappointment in "Surf's Up's" cast of characters, it is Tank Evans (voice of Diedrich Bader, "Napoleon Dynamite"), a stock bad guy bully who nonetheless helps fuel Cody's character development. Lifeguard Lani Aliikai (voice of Zooey Deschanel, "Elf") is admittedly a bit of a bland romantic interest, but she's given a terrific prop in her expressive squid aquatic propeller and cute subplot in Arnold, a chick who keeps drowning in order to be saved. Bridge's Z is a great character, a sort of Big Bird by way of Big Lebowski, as comfortable as an old couch. And if the filmmakers are guilty of borrowing, they borrow from the best - witness a Greek chorus of penguin chicks straight out of Aardman's "Creature Comforts." "Surf's Up" also has heart in the relationship between Cody, whose unabashed fandom in discovering the old washed up surfer hidden in the jungle is none other than Big Z turns to teenaged resentment of the big guy's take-it-slow advice, and Z. Take the native Pen Guans, for example, a group comprised of the funniest cannibalistic movie cliches who start intent on on stewing him and end up forming his fan base. Same goes for Jon "Napoleon Dynamite" Heder's Chicken Joe, a goofy stoner rooster whose childlike naivety brings out the goodness in others. The over-caffeinated cartoon character would seem done to death ("Ice Age," "Hoodwinked"), but James Woods and the spindly legs of his character make it seem fresh. But what makes "Surf's Up" so good is in the detail. The story itself is nothing new - a fledgling athlete is taken under the wing of a washed up former champ and learns that the sport is not all about winning. But surprise, "Surf's Up" turns out to be a small winner, a cute animal animation that works its surfer world with offbeat humor. 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.Surfing penguins? The thought smacked of over saturation, a late to the party guest wearing a worn out trend. Along the way, Cody meets surf nut Chicken Joe (Joe Heder), famous surf promoter Reggie Belafonte (James Woods), surf talent scout Mikey Abromowitz (Mario Cantone), and spirited lifeguard Lani Aliikai (Zooey Deshannel), all of whom recognize Cody's passion for surfing, even if it sometimes goes too far. 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. The film profiles teenage Rockhopper penguin Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf), an up-and-coming surfer, as he enters his first pro competition. "Surf's Up" is an animated comedy that delves behind the scenes of the high-octane world of competitive surfing. — - Starring: Shia LeBeouf, Jon Heder, Zooey Deschanel, James Woods, Jeff Bridges, Michael McKean, Jane Krakowski, Diedrich Bader
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