Surf's Up

I know what you're thinking - not another animated animal movie. Please Hollywood, no more performing creatures with celebrity voices we can't place till the closing credits. But wait: although, admittedly, Surf's Up checks the big name voiceover box (answer: it's Jeff Bridges), its unique selling point is in the delivery. Surfing penguin Cody (voiced by this summer's most-employed actor, Shia LaBeouf) travels to the Penguin World Surfing Championship accompanied by a fly-on-the-wall documentary crew, subjecting all participants to interviews and general intrusion. With attention to detail extending even to the classic reality TV participant's hissy fit, this piece to camera, mock-doc style is the source of the laughs, and the coupling of celebrity larynxes to furry creatures is predictably precise. Combine this with the plush, tactile animation sophisticated audiences expect from this sort of venture, and Surf's Up offers at least a couple of spoonfuls more than you might anticipate. [Lindsay West]