Surf's Up (PG, 2007)

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).

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.