Surf146;s Up

Brief as it is in real life, this is definitely Penguins8217; time under the Hollywood sun. Madagascar, March of the Penguins, Happy Feet and now about a Penguin surfboarding competition.

What puts Surf8217;s Up apart is that it could be a film about any other sea animal, and that it is packaged as a TV documentary, including grainy archival footage, interviews with the stars, the backstage guys, the promoters, the bystanders, the families8230;

Cody Maverick Labeouf from Shiverpool has always wanted to take part in a surfing competition and be like his hero Big Z, who disappeared one day at the height of his glory days. His parents don8217;t believe in him, nor do many others.

But he heads out, eventually meets one benefactor hiding in a tree who, not surprisingly, turns out to be Big Z himself and 8212; again not surprisingly 8212; he proves himself. The film8217;s message about winning not being everything and about having fun is not remarkable either.

But the film8217;s strength lies in being resolutely un-cute in its script and in its voices and animation particularly the surfing scenes. Bridges as the laidback Z and Labeouf as the overenthusiastic Cody are especially good.