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CS Weekly Archive> DVD > 10/12/07
The Perfect Wave
by peter clines
Surf's Up
Screenplay by Don Rhymer and Christopher Jenkins & Ash Brannon & Chris Buck (latter two also directed)
Story by Christopher Jenkins and Christopher Darren
 
 
Surf’s Up is a faux documentary about Cody Maverick (voiced by Shia LeBeouf), a misfit penguin from Antarctica who earns a place in an international surfing contest. After a brutal thrashing by the local champion (v. Deidrich Bader), however, a beautiful life guard (v. Zooey Deschanel) and an old beach bum (v. Jeff Bridges) teach Cody that in surfing—and in life—success doesn’t always mean winning. With the glut of CGI animal movies in recent years, it’s nice to find one that hits the center of that four-quadrant target. The “live camera” framework lets long monologues fit smoothly into the storytelling, while also allowing many jokes to work on two very different levels. Most of the special features are games and distractions meant for children, but the deleted scenes and commentary by writers Christopher Jenkins, Ash Brannon, and Chris Buck give excellent insight on how careful they were not to let the film slip over the line and become a mockumentary and the challenges of staying true to that format.
Surf's Up
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated PG; 85 min.
$28.95
Buy it now
Peter Clines has had a lifelong love affair with the movies. He grew up in New England, where he studied English literature and education, and now lives and writes somewhere in Southern California. If anyone knows exactly where, he would appreciate a few hints.
Surf's Up courtesy Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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