Surf's Up Website Up

(Source: surfsup.sonypicturespublicity.com/)

As I've said maybe once or twice before, this summer is rough for movies. A lot of studios are unleashing some pretty high-profile properties this season, with many sequels to some of moviedom's biggest hits.

Witness the plight of Sony Pictures Animation's Surf's Up which has the unfortunate distinction of opening the same weekend as the live-action Ocean's Thirteen, the latest in a long line of hit movies getting the third sequel treatment. Not as bad as Paprika, which opened opposite current chart topper Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, but close.

Here's the movie's synopsis: "Surf's Up is an animated comedy that delves behind the scenes of the high-octane world of competitive surfing.

"The film profiles teenage rockhopper penguin Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf), an up-and-coming surfer, as he enters his first pro competition. Followed by a camera crew to document his experiences, Cody leaves his family and friends in Shiverpool, Antarctica to travel to Pen Gu Island for the Big Z Memorial Surf Off. Along the way, Cody meets surf nut Chicken Joe (Jon Heder), famous surf promoter Reggie Belafonte (James Woods), surf talent scout Mikey Abromowitz (Mario Cantone), and spirited lifeguard Lani Aliikai (Zooey Deschanel), all of whom recognize Cody's talent for surfing, even if it sometimes goes too far.

"Cody believes that winning will bring him the admiration and respect he desires, but when he unexpectedly comes face-to-face with a washed-up old surfer named Geek (Jeff Bridges), Cody begins to find his own way, and discovers a true winner isn't always the one who comes in first."

Sony has put up the official website for the flick, featuring the usual photos, bios, production notes and movie-related games. It's moderately fun stuff that gives the viewer some background information on the movie, and throws in some charming time wasters (such as Mikey Abromowitz's Around the World tour). Bizarrely enough, some of the activities (such as the Gnarly Name Generator) don't work and some of the links are listed as "Coming Soon . . ." ; not good for a movie that's coming out this Friday.

Unfortunately, it's still not enough to get me excited about this movie. It seems like a mish-mash of recent flicks that have been cobbled together to make another movie. As I've said before, take the penguins from Happy Feet, the mockumentary style from This is Spinal Tap, and the young-hotshot-gets-life-lessons-from-grizzled-mentor plotline from Cars, and you pretty much have Surf's Up. And that's why, if there's one animated movie that's gonna get (pardon the pun) washed up at the box office this summer, Surf's Up is it. This is the only flick that:

1. Isn't associated with a hit TV series (The Simpsons Movie)
2. Isn't the latest installment in a billion-dollar franchise (Shrek the Third)
3. Isn't the product of a studio with a long history of producing quality animated movies (Ratatouille)

Can this flick overcome those negatives to catch fire at the box office? We find out June 8th.

Surf's Up poster

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