Surf's Up: Critic Reviews

As formulas go, the movie, team-written and -directed, sneaks in more tubular charm than the average adult ticket buyer might expect -- or that very young attendees might appreciate.

Surf's Up has a friendly, blue-collar vibe and some sly, low-key humor.

Cranked out to an hour and a half, it had me flapping my arms in irritation.

Not exactly awash in cleverness, but it is good clean fun for the family.

It's an old story, but [the directors] infuse it with terrific wit and energy, structuring Surf's Up like a mock documentary and doing a remarkable job of approximating vintage film stock. It's cool but not too cool, and cute but not too cute.

Between the breezy surfer culture and insider references, Surf's Up is the most colorful of the penguin 'toons to date, both figuratively and literally.

The film's tubular visuals and sun-struck philosophizing celebrate the sport while spoofing its disciples, mixing B-grade potty humor and totally-like-fried-chicken gags with faux interviews a la Christopher Guest.

Sorry, cynics, Surf's Up is a charmer. And if the birds look somewhat familiar, they have something fresh to say about friendship and what winning is all about.

Fresh, funny, inventive and engaging. Dang if those dumb little birds didn't find a movie that lets them be cuddly animals with human problems, an animated flick whose anthropomorphism is appealing rather than appalling.

The kids won't know how terrific Surf's Up is.

The originality of the documentary format coupled with the splendid CGI effects qualifies Surf's Up as not just another penguin movie.

The film's vibe could only be described as 'sun-baked.' Some kids' movies don't try very hard, and you resent the laziness. This one doesn't try too hard, but its offhandedness is a break from the usual manic Over the Hedge-y attack.

The novelty wears off almost immediately, leaving this a real chore to watch; there's something bizarre about low-budget spontaneity being replicated in such a labor-intensive medium.

Surf's Up! has a jokey-serious tone that engages both children and adults.

The actors broke precedent by recording their scenes side by side, adding an energetic improv vibe missing from most animated features. Surf's Up isn't the Big Kahuna, but it's far from a wipeout.

Marred by sudden dead spots and afflicted with a few alarming fits of double entendre inappropriateness.

From the nondescript voices to routine animation to an over-written story, this movie spends much of its time gasping for air.

Just when parents managed to calm their tap-dancing tots, along comes another animated penguin pic -- this time featuring South Pole fowl who surf.

Maybe the next penguin flick will do more justice to the subject. How about going all grindhouse in Lesbian Vampire Penguins of the SS?

The first delightful surprise among the summer blockbusters. Beautifully animated, terrifically acted and edited in a way that hilariously mimics those Endless Summer surf documentaries, it will amuse kids and flat-out tickle adults.

Surf's Up is quite surprisingly good, going for the subtle chuckle where Happy Feet opted for show-stopping spectacle.

Surf's Up is that rarity in a children's movie, a comedy that's actually exciting. Watching the penguins ride inside the tube of a wave, or plunge under the surface, you may find yourself wanting to cheer.

If you have to see one penguin movie, this is it.

Surfing penguins make for radical fun for young children.

The fact that LaBeouf can read a line like, 'Winners find a way no matter what' -- and not sound corny -- is emblematic of what makes Surf's Up such an enjoyable ride.