One of my best friends is obsessed with this movie, at the ripe age of 17. I felt like I had to watch it if it stole her heart while being made for children. I expected cheesy jokes and stellar animation, and thats exactly what I got. Surf’s Up… a mockumentary movie that shows what life is like as a penguin who wants to make it big as a surfer, but has never left the iceberg. 

The animation is particularly realistic. The water looks so real you could swim in it, and the surfing scenes are made with such definition you can almost feel the cold splash of the salty sea, they achieve the frigid feeling of Antarctica with the cool blues that give you the shivers.

The cast is stacked with Shia LaBeouf as the voice of Cody Maverick. LaBeouf brings that immature, naive teenager feeling, perfectly embodying a young penguin obsessed with surfing, just trying to prove himself to his friends and family. Jeff Bridges perfectly voices Big Z, giving us a laid-back penguin full of wisdom, lending a helping hand to Cody while guiding him through the world's great tides. 

The soundtrack includes Incubus’s Drive, perfectly conveying Cody’s teenage angst. Pearl Jam’s “Big Wave”, New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give”, and last but most definitely not least, The Beach Boys’ “Surfs Up”. 

Throughout the adventure, you can’t help but root for the little guy and only hope he can prove himself to the rest of the world. Cody’s mindset as a surfing penguin changes from an innocent, immature teenager to a much more perceptive young adult. What he learns, and what we all can learn is the world is much bigger than your little island, and the only way to find your true self is to venture out. 

With spectacular animation, lovable characters, a killer soundtrack, and some character development, this film is worth hearing, seeing, and understanding. The story of an underdog is what reels you in, what teaches every watcher, at the age of 17, 12 or 62, what it means to grow up.