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After the tremendous success of the animated feature Happy Feet,
any other penguin film would find itself hard-pressed to tackle the difficult
feat of becoming as sensational. But Sony Pictures' Surf's Up met
the challenge head-on, surpassing expectations, and awing doubtful audiences
and critics alike.
In addition to its easy-to-follow plot, its skilled animators, and its
superb visual effects, the film's greatest achievement is its ability to
attract more than just a PG audience. But, without its fun, flexible cast of
voice actors, including teen celebrity Shia LeBeouf, upcoming star John
Heder, and skilled comical actor James Woods, Surf's Up would've
found it difficult to retain its widespread appeal.
LeBeouf (Disturbia, Transformers) voices Cody, the
disadvantaged, yet ambitious young penguin who is set on becoming a surfing
legend. Tired of dwelling in dull Shiverpool, Antartica, Cody gets the
opportunity to go to PenGu Island and participate in a surfing competition
dedicated to his hero, Big Z (voiced by Jeff Bridges). With the help of his
friend, Chicken Joe (voiced by Napoleon Dynamite's John Heder), a somewhat
friendly lifeguard named Lani (voiced by Zooey Deschanel), and a mysterious
surfing coach, Cody is able to overcome his obstacles and challenge Tank
(voiced by Diedrich Bader), a pushy, cocky penguin who is the reigning
tournament champion.
Though Surf's Up has yielded a minimal proportion of profits in
comparison to its predecessor Happy Feet, its simplicity and
hilarity continue to draw diverse audiences of optimistic 8-year olds and
their hopeful parents, proving that an animated penguin movie can be
triumphant without having to be a Happy Feet copycat.
Yet, regardless of the positive reviews, Surf's Up represents
more than just a bunch of cute and cuddly penguins; it provides evidence of a
problem that surfaced a couple years ago. With their debut in Happy
Feet and their appearance in Madagascar(in addition to other animated
features), these flightless, hue-deficient birds have gradually progressed
into the mainstream of American society. Whereas their presence in the
media may have prompted a positive response for some, the original, loyal,
hardcore penguin-lovers are appalled. Similar to sports fans of the Golden
State Warriors before they even made it to the play-offs or music admirers of
certain bands before they began to appear on MTV, those who adored penguins
prior to their emergence in the spotlight are sad to see so many "fake"
penguin-lovers claim to be original. But the penguins' progress into
mainstream has already begun. So with their penguin pajamas, their penguin
stuffed-animals, and their penguin coffee mugs, the original penguin fans can
only observe and despair over the downfall of their cute and cuddly
friends.
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