Ty Reynolds ’27
Right now, you may be asking yourself, “why should I care about a surfing penguin movie?” and in that case, it’s obvious you haven’t seen the 2007 classic “Surf’s Up.” On the surface, this movie is exactly what one might expect: a movie featuring penguins in a surfing competition. When watching the film, though, “Surf’s Up” has a level of depth unmatched by movies of its kind today.
The first thing that stood out to me was the ‘mockumentary’ format surrounding the main character, Cody Maverick. From the very start, characters are interviewed about Cody. The viewer is constantly tugged back and forth through interviews with retired penguins, Cody’s family and Cody himself, among others. Within these interviews, one also gets a glimpse of Cody’s life in Shiverpool, Antarctica. In pursuit of his surfing dreams, Cody is painted as a lazy town reject, as he isn’t interested in any ‘normal’ penguin hobbies or careers. Here, the central theme of the movie is hinted upon as Cody sits on his surfboard saying, “Cody’s this, Cody’s that — Cody’s me, bro. Let me be me. When’s that gonna start?”
Despite the near constant critique from the local penguins in Shiverpool, Cody is able to earn a spot in the upcoming “Big Z Memorial Surf-Off” tournament. After some initial setbacks on his first day at the tournament, Cody has a surprise run in with his thought-to-be-dead former inspiration and love interest’s uncle, Big Z. After some attempts to get Big Z to teach him how to surf, Cody finally learns to shred waves like a pro.
Additionally, the writing in “Surf’s Up” is genuinely good. Aside from a distasteful side plot with Chicken Joe (the embodiment of comedic relief), the people who watched “Surf’s Up” with me and I found this movie to be funny. A lot of the humor is semi-highbrow for a movie intended for children, and the risks that the writers take with some of the jokes are difficult to find in children’s movies today. I believe this is why “Surf’s Up” was initially seen as a box office disappointment but was later nominated for (and should have won) Best Animated Film in the Academy Awards of 2008.
I found this seemingly goofy children’s movie to be impactful due to the underlying moral of the story prompting the viewer to follow their dreams. Although it may seem cliché, through a mix of comedy and spontaneity, “Surf’s Up” makes this theme fresh –– or, as surfers might say, gnarly. Cody knows that surfing is something out of the ordinary for a penguin from Shiverpool to pursue, but through sheer tenacity he accomplishes his dreams and eventually becomes a pro surfer. We, as college students, can learn a lot from the movie. From creating one’s own path during a transitional point in life, to challenging adversity with a sense of humor and wonder, “Surf’s Up” serves as a hallmark of personal growth.