In the mid-2000s, a plethora of movies including penguins hit the box offices. Happy Feet, March of the Penguins, Madagascar, and Surf’s Up were all released within two years of each other.

By the time Surf’s Up came around, critics and general moviegoers were getting tired of the theme. It was looking like the movie was going to be another cheesy animated movie that wanted to steal a piece of the penguin-craze, and that is exactly what it was- although this movie took a different approach. I decided to revisit this classic in search for a refreshing twist and to dive back into my childhood.

In the format of a documentary, Surf’s Up follows around Cody Maverick, a young surfing penguin from Antarctica who travels to Pen Gu Island to compete in a competition called “The Big Z Memorial”.

Right after Cody gets there, he gets injured trying to challenge Tank Evans, the penguin who wins the competition every year, and is also the protagonist. Cody gets patched up by none other than Big Z himself, who was thought to be dead by everyone except his sister, Lani. With just days before the competition, Big Z trains Cody, but tries to convince him that winning isn’t everything. Once the Big Z Memorial comes, Cody sacrifices himself to take Tank out of the competition and let his friend, Chicken Joe, win.

Two things in particular made this movie such a special experience to me: the alternative, clever format and the in-depth characters.

Surf’s Up was one of the first movies of its time to take on the “mockumentary” style, which intends to make the events and character interactions seem more like real life. This film creates the perfect balance between plenty of wacky moments and a charming, intriguing plot which catches the audience. The characters are often speaking over each other or getting interrupted, to create that “live action” feel, where it doesn’t seem like the whole thing is rehearsed. The “cameraman” of the documentary also has moments where he interacts with other characters, such as when Big Z throws clam shells at him to make him try to go away, or when he almost slips down the mountainside. The characters themselves also feel very unique and definitely fit the typical surfer feeling with their language and way of speaking.

I definitely recommend this movie to people of all ages who are looking for a heartwarming and inspiring story that branches off from the all too similar movies of today. Surf’s Up was truly ahead of its time, and deserves praise for its uniqueness.