Movie · 2007 · Animation, Comedy, Family · 1h 25m · PG · English
Curator score: 6.3/10 (517.4K ratings)
A Major Ocean Picture
Overview
With a documentary crew in tow, Cody Maverick—a young surfer from Antarctica—travels to the pacific for his first professional competition. Determined to earn respect and live up to his idol, Big Z, Cody pushes himself to the limit. But all that changes when an encounter with a laid-back local forces him to rethink his values.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.3/10
IMDb: 6.7/10
Letterboxd: 3.75/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Metacritic: 64
TMDB: 6.5/10
Director
Chris Buck, Ash Brannon
Production
Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation
Cast
Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder, James Woods, Diedrich Bader, Mario Cantone, Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Selema Masekela, Ash Brannon, Chris Buck, Brian Posehn, Dana Belben, Reed Buck, Reese Elowe, Jack P. Ranjo, Maddie Taylor, Bob Bergen, Jillian Bowen
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, surprisingly self-aware animated sports comedy with real personality, strong voice work, and a mockumentary style that gives it extra snap. It works both as a kid-friendly underdog story and as a breezy satire of competition culture.
Best for
fans of underdog sports stories
viewers who like mockumentary-style comedy
families looking for a clever animated movie
people who enjoy laid-back, offbeat humor
Skip if
you want straight-ahead slapstick with no satire
you dislike faux-documentary framing
you prefer animation that stays purely sentimental
you are not interested in sports-movie structure
Overview
Surf’s Up is one of those animated movies that sneaks up on you. On paper it sounds like a novelty premise, but the mock-documentary setup, dry humor, and relaxed rhythm give it a personality that feels unusually confident for a family film. It’s funny without being frantic, and it knows exactly when to let the visuals and character beats do the work.
Worth noting
What makes it stick is the balance between parody and sincerity. Cody’s ambition is treated seriously, but the movie is just as interested in the oddball energy around him, especially the easygoing worldview that challenges his need to prove himself. That tension gives the story more texture than a standard “win the competition” arc.
Bottom line
It’s also a great example of a kids’ movie that plays better when you’re older, because the jokes land on multiple levels and the whole thing has a cool, slightly detached charm. Not every beat is memorable, but the overall package is smart, funny, and more distinctive than most animated studio comedies of its era.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Karsten (4.5★) · 6169 likes
watched the 3 hour directors cut, a must-sea
James (Schaffrillas) (4★) · 5835 likes
Wait what the fuck why is this movie so great
millie (4★) · 4692 likes
you: happy feet
me, an intellectual: surf’s up
🖊🌈✨ (5★) · 4672 likes
stepped on me?
stepped on me?
are you kiddin’? this guy was DANCIN’ on me.
i mean, just look at this.
BROKEN, BROKEN, GONE, GONE, BROKEN BROKEN BROKEN...
jpwallace (4★) · 3679 likes
me at age 8: chicken joe🤣🤣🤣🤣
me at age 21: chicken joe🤣🤣🤣🤣