Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
There are a lot of great animated works out there but only a handful of them are films that I like to classify as truly a feel good type of movie. And by this, I mean a movie where you know it is close to your heart, perhaps because you watched it as a child and loved it or because that no matter how many times you’ve seen it, there’s just something about it that make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside while still being an incredibly entertaining film throughout.
That’s what I feel about the movie Surf’s Up, which among some other great films like A Bug’s Life and The Adventures of Tintin, are examples of films and shows that hold a special place in my heart because something about them grabbed me and hasn’t
seemed to let go since I first watched them. While I’ve enjoyed other works that have come since then, there’s something different about these ones that just speak truer when it comes to me and my own experience with them and I can’t exactly describe
why apart from they just gravitated towards me and I just simply love them. They’re so much fun and yet also interesting, captivating and even wholesome.
Spoilers ahead.
Thank you to my incredible Patreons for continuing to support this channel. You guys are amazing.
These include the lovely people “Matthew McKinley", "Adam McCarter", "FloNess" and "ThatEvilCanadian” at the time this was made.
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patreon.com/motioninart
For more of my reviews, analyses, and other articles:
motioninartmedia.com
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What is Surf’s Up?
Surf's Up is a 2007 American animated mockumentary comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation. The film features voice performances by Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder, James Woods, and Jeff Bridges. It parodies surfing documentaries such as The Endless Summer and Riding Giants, with elements of its plot also parodying North Shore. Professional surfers Kelly Slater and Rob Machado appear as penguin versions of themselves.
The film received positive reviews for its creative mockumentary style, realistic CGI, and engaging humour. Released with a $100 million budget, Surf's Up earned $152 million worldwide and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 80th Academy Awards. A sequel, Surf's Up 2: WaveMania, was released direct-to-video in 2017.
To promote the film, Columbia Pictures distributed toys through McDonald's Happy Meals. In Australia, plush versions of characters like Cody, Lani, Chicken Joe, and Geek were offered instead. Additionally, Build-A-Bear offered a range of Surf’s Up-themed merchandise, including customisable plush figures and accessories.
Critics generally praised the film for its unique comedic approach and visual style. CinemaScore audiences rated it an "A−," while review aggregators gave it scores of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes and 64 out of 100 on Metacritic.
And if you’re still reading this – hello.
This video is made through Fair Use under copyright law for the purposes of education in criticism or review; as well as parody or satire. copyright.gov/title17/92c https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod
There are a lot of great animated works out there but only a handful of them are films that I like to classify as truly a feel good type of movie. And by this, I mean a movie where you know it is close to your heart, perhaps because you watched it as a child and loved it or because that no matter how many times you’ve seen it, there’s just something about it that make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside while still being an incredibly entertaining film throughout.
That’s what I feel about the movie Surf’s Up, which among some other great films like A Bug’s Life and The Adventures of Tintin, are examples of films and shows that hold a special place in my heart because something about them grabbed me and hasn’t
seemed to let go since I first watched them. While I’ve enjoyed other works that have come since then, there’s something different about these ones that just speak truer when it comes to me and my own experience with them and I can’t exactly describe
why apart from they just gravitated towards me and I just simply love them. They’re so much fun and yet also interesting, captivating and even wholesome.
Spoilers ahead.
Thank you to my incredible Patreons for continuing to support this channel. You guys are amazing.
These include the lovely people “Matthew McKinley", "Adam McCarter", "FloNess" and "ThatEvilCanadian” at the time this was made.
If you’d also like the option of becoming a Patreon, head to:
patreon.com/motioninart
For more of my reviews, analyses, and other articles:
motioninartmedia.com
Twitter:
twitter.com/motion_in_art
Reddit:
reddit.com/user/motioninart
Odysee:
odysee.com/@motioninart:3
To join the channel's Super Friends members:
youtube.com/channel/UCqKD9LycFTu8MxYCaX9Z8XA/join
What is Surf’s Up?
Surf's Up is a 2007 American animated mockumentary comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation. The film features voice performances by Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder, James Woods, and Jeff Bridges. It parodies surfing documentaries such as The Endless Summer and Riding Giants, with elements of its plot also parodying North Shore. Professional surfers Kelly Slater and Rob Machado appear as penguin versions of themselves.
The film received positive reviews for its creative mockumentary style, realistic CGI, and engaging humour. Released with a $100 million budget, Surf's Up earned $152 million worldwide and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 80th Academy Awards. A sequel, Surf's Up 2: WaveMania, was released direct-to-video in 2017.
To promote the film, Columbia Pictures distributed toys through McDonald's Happy Meals. In Australia, plush versions of characters like Cody, Lani, Chicken Joe, and Geek were offered instead. Additionally, Build-A-Bear offered a range of Surf’s Up-themed merchandise, including customisable plush figures and accessories.
Critics generally praised the film for its unique comedic approach and visual style. CinemaScore audiences rated it an "A−," while review aggregators gave it scores of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes and 64 out of 100 on Metacritic.
And if you’re still reading this – hello.
This video is made through Fair Use under copyright law for the purposes of education in criticism or review; as well as parody or satire. copyright.gov/title17/92c https://www.copyright.org.au/ACC_Prod
