Dude, That’s A Gnarly Tube

I had to create yet a whole other category since my daughter is now actively watching films. Now I normally would not review a children’s film because they tend to have fairly normal plots and are quite boring. I know that sounds harsh but there have been many times when I end up reading or doing something else while my daughter watches Dora the Explorer yet again. But I also thinks it’s important to highlight those films that are better than that and can be enjoyed by children as well as parents. Surf’s Up happens to be one of those films.Many children’s films give a false sense of adultness to their stories. Shrek adds “adult” humor for the parents watching, while Jerry Seinfeld is a bee. Most fail to realize that most adults do not mind a kids’ movie as long as it has an interesting story and treats children with respect. Of course kids will laugh at poop, but aiming at them laughing with a complex joke is more rewarding and respectable. Surf’s Up pushes the adultness of a children’s film by manipulating the way in which we view the story. We are supposed to believe that we are watching a documentary on surfing, penguin surfing. Just this step moves the film from ordinary child’s fare to something that challenges the viewer. Kids do not just accept something adults take for granted, this is an unusual way for a story to be told. There are still some poop jokes, but at least it happens in the context of a documentary.

Most kids will love the penguins, who doesn’t? Oh yeah, those that have recently watched March of the Penguins and Happy Feet. I have to tell you, I thought Happy Feet was not very good. Compared to Surf’s Up, Happy Feet is a bland regurgitation of a Disney film with forced environmental consciousnesses (which is good, but heavy handed when it’s animated penguins). Surf’s Up has a fresh attitude, but suffers the problem of being another penguin film; although compared to the rest it is the one to watch.

My favorite aspect of the film was the voice talent. It was fun trying to figure out who everyone was, and then laughing at how close the characters sometimes got to their voices. Jeff Bridges as Big Z was about the best match, I kept waiting to here him say, “It’s just Z, not the Z, just Z.” Hmm, I wonder if The Dude was his inspiration for the voice? How about Shia LaBeouf as Cody Maverick, Zooey Deschanel as Lani Aliikai, or James Woods as Reggie Belafont. Each one added to their character through their voice. I was even shocked by how perfect Jon Heder was as Chicken Joe. You see this slacker chicken surfer and wonder how many times the directors told Heder, “How about Napoleon as a chicken?” Yes it sounds like a cop out, but Chicken Joe should be similar to Napoleon. I was even glad to see Diedrich Bader voicing Tank Evans, which was another perfect match. And to think that I used to like him on The Drew Carey show, it’s nice to see him working.

Overall, Surf’s Up is a fun movie that offers more than just some disguised adult humor. It has a great story and a perfect way of presenting that story. The characters are lovable, but not because they are cute. They are lovable because they have personality, which is sometimes lacking in children’s films. For those of you who have ever viewed Creature Comforts, much of this film will remind you of the style used for those shows. That’s a bonus for some of us who hope a film version of Creature Comforts would appear. I am glad that Surf’s Up tried something a bit different, it worked.