'Surf's Up' (PG)(out of four)

It's cool to be a penguin nowadays. Ever since "March of the Penguins," the flightless birds have been gaining film stardom from "Blue Penguin" to "Happy Feet."

"Surf's Up" has particularly got its groove on. Taking penguin domination to a new level, the mockumentary is a clever tribute to surfing movies from the past.

Thank heavens the filmmakers were original enough to not fall into the Beach Boys trap (no "Surfin' USA"). Their selection of tunes for the soundtrack gives the film yet another plus in the originality category from Green Day's "Welcome to Paradise" to 311's "Reggae Got Soul."

"Surf's Up" is the story of a penguin named Cody Maverick (the voice of Shia LaBeouf) from Shiverpool, Antarctica, who goes against the grain by dreaming of being a star surfer after meeting the legendary Big Z. It's no coincidence that Jeff Bridges is the voice of Big Z since the character bears a striking resemblance to The Dude in "The Big Lebowski."

Cody is being interviewed for a surfing documentary -- think a cartoon version of "Riding Giants." The heard-but-not seen narrator and invisible film crew, referenced occasionally by an errant boom or water-spotted camera, end up following Cody when he gets his big break to compete in the Penguin World Surfing Championship on Pen Gu Island. Of course, the big event is being covered nonstop by PSEN (Penguin Sports Entertainment Network), which follows the same over-the-top TV sports coverage as ESPN.

Cody hitches a ride on a whale where he meets other surfer competitors, including Chicken Joe (Jon Heder of "Napoleon Dynamite"), a fried-out chicken who got his surfer's legs from practicing on Lake Michigan in Sheboygan, Wis. Unfortunately, Joe never knew his dad, Chicken Bob, who ended up as part of a KFC 5-piece bucket.

Cody's biggest rival is Tank (Diedrich Bader), who is the reigning champ and responsible for taking away Big Z's surf crown.

The film moves swiftly through its 85 minutes and even the youngest cinemagoers at the screening I saw weren't restless and followed the story throughout. At one point after a Cody wipe out, a little girl gripped by the story screamed out: "He's OK. He's alive."

"Surf's Up" runs waves around some of the most recent animated features because of its sheer approach. Its faux documentary style provides plenty of laughs that will keep parents interested while the kids will giggle at various poop references and typical cartoon mayhem.

"Surf's Up" is great family-friendly fare with some dazzling effects, yet this movie takes its surfing seriously even using some real voiceover of certified surfers. Overall "Surf's Up" rides the wave and takes its penguin stars to new heights.