Surf's Up

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?

 Everybody knows penguins surf, right? As he himself puts it, "As soon as there was the first wave, there was the first surfer. All you needed was a piece of driftwood or a block of ice, and you were off." Codys chances however, are slim. A colony as far north as Shiverpool doesn't usually get a whole lot of scouts except for when the annual Big Z memorial surf contest comes up. And when Cody gets his chance to go to the big surfing contest on the tropical island of Pen Gu, he does everything to go.

His first friend among the penguins who are going is in fact - a chicken. Chicken Joe. And as soon as they arrive, the two hang out together. However, when Cody challenges the infamous Tank Evans, it turns out he's not really that good at surfing. Okay. He sucks. Fortunately Lani, the lifeguard, takes him to a surfer named Geek who lives in the Jungle to heal Cody's injuries, and it turns out Geek is not only a pro surfer, he'll even help Cody make a board.

Two sides clash in this movie. On one hand you have Cody, the young energetic, ambitious Penguin who wants to win more than anything. On the other, you have a cool pro surfer, trying to show Cody that winning doesn't matter. What matters is that it's fun, and friendship is more important than trophies.

While this movie is made as a family movie and for small kids, teens can really enjoy it. It's packed with humor, as chicken Joe goes to search for Cody instead of just asking, and action with surfing. After watching this movie, you're also likely to have an almost uncontrollable urge to become a surfing pro yourself. So if you like sports, comedy, and random animals (from penguins and small birds to porcupines) Surf's up is for you.