This show had too many sexual inferences for my taste. In one scene, a penguin was practically drooling over these trophies that he had named after women, and his tone, the way he behaved, was a bit over the top. And a statement made while a male and female penguin were showering together was inappropriate for a children's movie.
Surf's Up
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Kids will dive into penguin adventure, dude.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 5 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Surf's Up was written by Sandie Angulo Chen
Parents need to know that this animated comedy has been heavily marketed to kids, and those who liked Happy Feet will be particularly interested in seeing it. Although there's not much violence, there are a few mildly perilous scenes during the surfing competition and in old photos/footage. And (big surprise for an animated story) the main character has a dead parent -- in this case, a father who was eaten by a shark. There's some unfortunate potty talk (which parents might want to manage at home), a harmless flirtation between two penguins, and a surfing champ's bizarre attachment to his trophies, which he refers to as his "girls."
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the current penguin craze. Why do you think there are so many movies and cartoons featuring them, from March of the Penguins to Madagascar? Are newer movies just copying the older ones, or do they all have different things to offer? Families can also discuss sportsmanship and determination. Is it more important to enjoy a sport or be competitive at it? Can you be both without placing winning above all else? What does Big Z teach Cody about idolizing role models too much? Why do we place professional athletes on a pedestal?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on Surf's Up
What’s the Story?
A clever homage to surfer flicks and documentary-style comedies, SURF'S UP follows the adventures of misfit penguin Cody (voiced by Shia LaBeouf) as he tries to become a surfing legend. Crediting his tenacious spirit to a childhood encounter with legendary late surfer Big Z, Cody (followed by a camera crew) ends up in Hawaii for a major surfing competition held in Z's honor. Cody eventually meets a hermitic penguin named Geek (Jeff Bridges), who's modeled exactly after Bridges' iconic alter ego The Dude from The Big Lebowski. Obviously, Geek is Big Z -- who never really wiped out after all -- and eventually, Z and the fatherless Cody get on the same wavelength. Jon Heder adds extra comic relief as Chicken Joe, Cody's laconic rooster surfing buddy who's so chill that he doesn't realize a tribe of penguins is trying to stew him, not give him a hot bath. Also adding to the comedy mix are Lani Zooey Deschnael, a beautiful lifeguard who's smitten with Cody, greedy surfing promoter Reggie (James Woods) -- an otter with a Don King hairdo -- and the competition's egomaniacal champ Tank Evans (voiced by comedian Diedrich Bader).
Is It Any Good?
Penguins have been all the cinematic rage since the Academy Award-winning documentary March of the Penguins became a surprise summer blockbuster in 2005. Next came 2006's coming-of-age musical -- and fellow Oscar winner -- Happy Feet. Surf's Up doesn't surpass the award-winning caliber of previous penguin films, but with its soundtrack of surfer tunes, impressive oceanic action visuals, and cast of droll characters, it's a fresh take on an otherwise overexposed animal.
Movie Details
Studio: Sony Pictures Animation, Directors: Chris Buck, Ash Brannon
Run time: 89 minutes
Theatrical release: 06/07/2007, DVD release: 10/09/2007
MPAA Rating: PG for mild language and some rude humor.
Run time: 89 minutes
Theatrical release: 06/07/2007, DVD release: 10/09/2007
MPAA Rating: PG for mild language and some rude humor.
Our Members Say
See all 59 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title iffy for age 8 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
Really not worth the hassle.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Excessive consumerism
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
This movie is awesome!!!
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My highlights are:
AWESOME!!!
The first time I watched it, I loved it instantly! It was very funny and entertaining to watch. Great voice acting and the story line (also the animation) was really well done. :) Oh, and this film makes me wanna go jump in the shore and go surfing! ;)
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
cute movie
Very cute movie. 5+ ages
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I rate this title pause for age 7 and give it
Not bad.
It might not be too funny, but definitely the best penguin movie in a while.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
it was funny
I recently watched this video for my communication II class in order to write a movie review about it. Myself and another 17 year old and two 16 year olds had a blast watching it! I babysit a 4 year old child and Surf's up is her favorite movie she is in love with it and i think that kids younger than 5 all the way up to parents could actually watch this movie.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
Misled
This websites warnings weren't entirely correct. It said a character made a comment of "Go cut yourself," but he actually said "Don't cut yourself" as he gave advice to the younger surfer. Even so, there are many better movies with the same theme e.g., recent VeggieTale Pirates movie. Also, my 7 y/o dau disliked the documentary-style of the movie and wished it "just told a story."
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
Beyond expectations!
Honestly, the premise of this movie had me avoiding it for months! I was so sure it would suck because of the idea of penguins surfing, then when my best friend in the whole world recommended it, I had to give it a shot, and it was WAY BETTER than I had anticipated. Yeah, it's cliched, unoriginal and not really a family movie, but it is just so funny and kept me laughing all the way through. I highly recommend this, ignore the neigh-sayers.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Surf's Up, and my IQ is down...
If you're kids are young and still like animated movies, then take them to this. But be warned, while the animation is sweet, the movie will bore you to tears. I am an avid fan of penguin movies, and I was disappointed by this. Very cute, but very boring.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Cory learns that being your best means putting in a lot of hard work.
My children loved this movie. Yes, there was some humor that went over their heads, but in general the movie was great. When you can take a 2 year old and an 8 year old to the movies and they both come out happy...I say it is a winner!
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Finally, a funny penguin movie
If you like surfing, or that kind of 'laid back, dude' style humor, you'll like Surf's Up. Some other reviewers have pointed out the weaknesses in the bad guy penguin, the free-floating chicken, and the wide-ranging language. Yet, it's quite entertaining and sweeter than I thought. Plus, the message about staying true to yourself and your friends was welcome, altho corny. Having just rented Happy Feet, which was a disappointing warmed over March of the Penguins, Surf's Up was light, fun and free-spirited. For ClubPenguin.com fans it was fun to see penguin up on the big screen. also, this was more entertaining than Ratatouille for kids, even tho the animation isn't as detailed.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
Iffy potty language, penguin unination...necessary???
Superb animation, cute story. Why must we have to muck it up with so much poop, pee talk and farts etc? The penguin urinating on the other penguins foot while the girl penguin stands by was a little much. Good movies really can stand on their own without so much attention to bodily functions.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Better Than I Expected!
I thought the movie wasn't really that bad, and it's a movie that I find many little kids will enjoy. I'm 14, so I noticed that there were some innuendos that will probably fly over little kids' heads. Parents might want to tell their kids not to repeat some of the words in this movie, but other than that, I'm glad that this movie didn't make me sick of penguin movies! It's fresh!
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
WIPE OUT
IF YOU ARE NOT A SHREDDER YOURSELF YOU CANNOT CONNECT. THE SEXUAL INUENDOS WERE COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE FOR A CHILDREN'S MOVIE. THEY WERE NOT YOUR NORMAL "ABOVE THEIR HEAD PARENTAL HUMOR". THEY WERE IN BAD TASTE AND POORLY EXECUTED. MY CHILDREN ASKED NUMEROUS TIMES TO LEAVE THE THEATRE.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Not what I expected
This movie was not what I expected. It is filmed in a "documentary" style. At least 2 families with preschool age children left the theater during the movie because their children were too bored to sit still and watch. There is quite a bit of social satire which kids will not understand. My husband also kept falling asleep. You would think a surfing film would have some exciting action, but not this one. My 9 and 11 year old kids thought the movie was OK.
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I rate this title off for age 0 and give it
Just from the review I'm appalled. "go cut yourself" is appropriate for ages 5 and up? Since when? Another show gets bashed because it's a bit violent, but this gets and 5+ on despite the content mentioned in this review. So much for Common Sense supporting ratings not being pushed. it's doing th same thing. Hypocrisy at its finest.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Hilarious!! Totally cute! :)
This movie made me laugh so hard and the kids LOVED it! Although I could have done w/o the use of "crap" and a few other minor words...I think the overall message was well worth it! This is a great summer film for the whole family! :)
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Ratings at a Glance
| 50% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 50% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
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