Cody Maverick(Shia LeBouf), a rock-hopper penguin and native of Shiverpool, Antarctica, truly lives up to his surname, unlike his highly domestic mother and brother. He seems quite talented as far as finding his own way--he surfs when others fish, surfs when others sit on eggs, he surfs because that's who he is. The legend of Big Z, the emperor penguin who changed surfing forever, helped to make Maverick a maverick. So when neurotic event liaison bird Mikey Abromowitz (Mario Cantone) appears with a chance to compete in the annual "Big Z Memorial" competition, Cody literally jumps into the chance. Along the way, he meets characters such as Joe (Jon Heder, well-cast once again), a surfing chicken from Michigan, and Lani Aliikai (Zooey Deschanel), a lifeguard penguin who also knows a thing or two about Big Z. Like most other heroes of animated film, Cody learns something about what really matters, but don't let that put you off. This is some true summer fun, kept low-key, which, hopefully, will make this the sleeper hit of summer. Everyone is nicely cast, and the characters are easy to care about (that's saying a lot for modern cinema right there). The film looks wonderful as well--nice character design almost gets dwarfed by the environments, as the folks at Sony Animation show that they have successfully taught computers the difference between freezing, harsh Antarctic Ocean and beautiful, blue, tropical ocean. Truly stunning.
I feel I should also mention the soundtrack; no Beach Boys, but still appropriate. If you've been waiting to hear Incubus, Green Day, or Lauryn Hill in more film soundtracks, now's your chance. The mockumentary approach makes it even more engaging while amping the laughs. Christopher Guest would be proud. All in all, if you're looking for a break from all the holler and hoopla that summer movies bring, and as Big Z says, you're ready to just have some fun, catch a wave...
I feel I should also mention the soundtrack; no Beach Boys, but still appropriate. If you've been waiting to hear Incubus, Green Day, or Lauryn Hill in more film soundtracks, now's your chance. The mockumentary approach makes it even more engaging while amping the laughs. Christopher Guest would be proud. All in all, if you're looking for a break from all the holler and hoopla that summer movies bring, and as Big Z says, you're ready to just have some fun, catch a wave...