Surf's Up

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

An animated family movie about penguins -- in the wake of "March of the Happy Feet," they're the Angelina Jolie of animals, both cute and admired everywhere. Plus, it's about surfing.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Best of all is Jeff Bridges as the voice of Geek, a laid-back philosopher-penguin who becomes Cody's low-key guru, mentoring him in the ways of the wave.

Boston Globe Michelle Kung

The most colorful of the penguin 'toons to date, both figuratively and literally.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

Not only are LaBeouf and Bridges terrific, but Jon Heder is hilarious as surfing fowl Chicken Joe. And Zooey Deschanel is saucy fun as penguin lifeguard Lani.

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

What makes Surf's Up stand out is its look and texture.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

If you have to see one penguin movie, this is it.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

The entertaining new film from Sony Pictures Animation is a nice surprise, and the rare mainstream American kid film.

Premiere Paul Semel

Up will still make you feel like you've caught a big wave.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Has its own peculiar, loose-knit kind of charm.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

A cut above the noisy, pop-culture joke-larded norm, and it's much more than a "Happy Feet" knockoff.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

Surf's Up is that rarity in a children's movie, a comedy that's actually exciting.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust

A clever, delightfully rendered summer diversion.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

It's cool but not too cool, and cute but not too cute. A neat trick considering its overexposed avian cast.

Village Voice Ella Taylor

If you have to see another penguin blockbuster, you could do worse than this loose-limbed charmer.

New York Magazine David Edelstein

Don't worry, parents, only you--and not your 5-year-old--will get that the chicken's stoned out of his gourd.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

A cheerful and frequently amusing bit of nonsense, which certainly will provoke children into giggles. The film does not measure up to "March of the Penguins" or "Happy Feet," both Oscar-winning efforts. Nor is it trying to.

Variety Peter Debruge

Every bit as entertaining as the early Christopher Guest efforts.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

The film's greatest triumph, at least on a technical level, is the amazing texture of the water, which has never looked so dramatic or convincing in an animated film.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson

Mostly, it just stands out in a crowded field of tacky also-rans by being a reasonably acceptable, more or less non-obnoxious way to spend an hour and a half.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

Where Surf's Up falls down is in its central relationships. (A few more jokes wouldn't have hurt either).

USA Today Claudia Puig

First they marched, then they tap-danced. Now they ride the waves on souped-up boards. It really doesn't matter what stunts they try to pull off: Who can resist an animated mockumentary in the style of "This Is Spinal Tap" starring the black-and-white big birds of the moment?

New York Post Kyle Smith

Doesn't do enough with a righteous premise.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

The voice performances are great, particularly those from LaBeouf and Bridges, who's in a "Big Lebowski" mood. But a moratorium on penguin movies may be in order.

The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis

Has a friendly, blue-collar vibe (Cody is an ex-fish-sorter from the Shiverpool, Antarctica) and some sly, low-key humor. Nevertheless, a moratorium on penguins might be called for, despite the inevitable anthropomorphic void.

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

There's nothing terribly wrong with Surf's Up, except maybe the part where one character calls another a "dirty trash can full of poop." But the movie isn't terribly robust, either.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

The novelty wears off almost immediately, leaving this a real chore to watch; there's something bizarre about low-budget spontaneity being replicated in such a labor-intensive medium.