Surf’s Up reflection
By: Jake Rajala
Surf’s Up is one of the most underrated animated films of the 21st century. I will unfold why the film is special and rewatchable.
Shia is one of the coolest, laid back actors in the business. He plays the main character named Cody Maverick. Cody wants to leave the island and pursue his dream of surfing. His brother and mother aren’t fond of his dream. He looks up to “Big Z”, who was one of the best surfers when he was a child. This makes me remember how I deeply admire and look up to the mythical, deceased Steve Jobs.
The theme of this movie is “follow your dream” at all costs. Cody was left at his hometown, but he kept trying to get on the whale to go to the surfing tournament. He eventually got on the whale. It teaches people not only once to reach out to a boss for an opportunity, if they say no at first.
Cody also met Big Z. Clearly, Big Z was washed up and not ready to come out of retirement. This doesn’t mean that he can’t teach Cody how to be a championship surfer.
Between the vital scenes, there is some amusement with Chicken Joe. He is boiled alive from a clan of penguins, but he thinks it’s a hot tub. He’s from Wisconsin, which is near my hometown in Houghton, Michigan.
Being an underdog is also a vital piece of the film. Cody doesn’t have any experience in tournaments. Well, he is going up against Tank Evans, who probably lost count of all his trophies. It’s worth noting he is only 17 years old, too.
There is an underrated element of love in the film. Cody falls in love with Lani, who is a life guard. She is played by Zooey Deschchanel. Cody, Big Z, and her ride off into the sunset together.
The film received an overall positive impression. It garnered an 78% Rotten Tomatoes score, and 77% of Google users admired the piece. If the movie was longer with an extra dose of mentoring from Big Z with Cody, I believe it would be at least an 85% RT score.
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