Surfs Up

This is a Sony Pictures animation that is much less lame than the trailers would have you believe. Are they trying to cash in on the whole Penguin craze that has caught everyone by storm? Yeah, probably, but it's a really good cash in, one that takes a unique approach to its storytelling, puts a lot of focus on its characters, and has a great visual design.

The film is based (I'll bet very lightly) on a true story, where all the characters are replaced by surfing penguins. In going with the true story angle, the film is edited and shown as if it were a documentary. Characters talk to cameramen, they participate in interviews, and even the camera work is toned down to look like someone is standing and shooting it, rather than the normal “camera” work of digital films where the camera flies around everywhere and can fit in impossible places. By making the film a pseudo-documentary, the audience is able to get that much more attached to the characters. They feel more real this way.

The whole documentary thing also lends itself to some of the jokes and lightheartedness of the film. The plot is stressed very little if the film suddenly cuts to a group of small penguins saying funny things, because we expect that kind of cut in a documentary. The film is also not limited to having a distinct time-line. We, as the audience, can focus more on what the editor of this “documentary” wanted to show us with their cuts, rather than worrying about the narrative order.

Finally, I'll just say the visual style of the film is incredible. Each penguin looks like a surfer, and floral “Hawaiian-shirt” patterns are blended into their feathers. The look is just right. You probably wouldn't think it, but this is a decent film, and while I'm not going to rush out to buy it, I wouldn't mind watching it again.