***Warning: Lotsa spoilers.***
Okay. Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooookay.
While the first movie was certainly not bad, by any stretch of the imagination, when I heard that there was
a sequel I thought, why? It didn’t
merit a sequel. Everything was stitched up well in the end. Why was this a
need.
That’s when I saw the DVD cover.
What is that?
Why is it there?
Can someone please tell me why there’s a wrestling logo on a sequel to
a half-decent, barely memorable, but still kinda good movie about SURFING
PENGUINS???
Sigh…. Here I go…. I am not looking forward to this. NO, seriously,
you don’t even see the original cast members’ names on the front! It’s all
wrestlers! Like they said, “Remember those characters you grew to somehow love,
well, forget them! We’re not even putting Big Z up there, even though he was
THE plot point,” I guess someone needed to be on family-friendly entertainment?
Well, this one looks even less memorable than the first. There will be
spoilers.
Surf’s Up 2 starts with a
where-are-they-now-type segment of Cody Maverick, including an interview in
which Cody shamelessly plugs in his surfing school (by the way, check out my
YouTube page and my
G+ sometime! Both are pretty cool!) Tank also butts in with
his online surfing school (he hasn’t changed a bit). Cody tries to get Tank off
his case, but Tank reminds him that he’s the 9-time champ, not Cody.
Chicken Joe, on the other hand, became a professional surfer, touring
the world with the Hang 5 – wait, who the heck are the Hang 5??! I don’t
remember them? You know what else I don’t remember? Cody’s voice!!! What the
heck?
Yeeeeeeeeahhh. I did some research. Hoo, boy.
It turns out there’s a reason none of the original cast members’ names
were listed on the cover. It’s because the voice actors are all different. What
was once an all-star cast, turned into some generic sound-alikes. So this
really is a WW Studios movie, more than it is a Sony Pictures Animation movie.
This is gonna burn, big time.
Sony: We either hit or miss!
Then again, given Shia LeBouf’s (original Cody Maverick) recent
actions, I guess I’d pick a bunch of wrestlers over him, any day. Maybe this
won’t be so bad.
Anyway, Cody gets visited by Chicken Joe, who is rich, famous, and
more decorated than a NASCAR car. Joe shares his experiences with Cody, who is
happy for Joe, but is also slightly jealous, in a sort of “What if it’d been
me?” kind of way. Joe also gives Cody a Hang 5 poster, and he reminisces of his
boyhood days when he for some reason has a vacation outside his home, and
watched the Hang 5 surf.
Okay, last movie was all about Big Z. WHAT THE HECK—
It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s a WWE movie. It’s a WWE movie.
Cody shares his lament with Lani, who sensed something was wrong.
The next day, unexpectedly, the Hang 5 arrive. A fangirling fanboy
Cody invites them over for a luau. At the luau, Mr. McMahon (the beefed-up
otter… yeah, that’s an otter) – who
has a highly disturbing desire to drink fish milk – announces that the Hang 5
will be surfing the Trenches, a legendary dangerous spot. Mr. McMahon is
retiring, and wants to put a new member in his place, specifically Lani (who he
saw parkouring to rescue a drowning baby penguin), although Cody thinks he will be the new member.
In the morning, it’s revealed that Lani’s the new member. Before the
Hang 5 leaves, Cody shows off sweet moves, and J.C. wants to keep Cody. Paige
wants to keep Lani, the Undertaker wants Chicken Joe (possibly as a meal), and
Hunter wants Tank. It’s now a contest to see who gets the last spot, and the
group goes to the Trenches at Slaughter Island. The first leg is through
crushed-whale bones quicksand. Tank takes out Cody, putting his team in last
place for the first challenge, and leaving them to wax everyone’s boards. Mr.
McMahon likes Cody’s moves, but not his attitude. J.C. assures him that he’ll
be okay. That night, J.C. lifts Cody’s spirits with a few words of
encouragement.
The Hang 5 sleep above ground to avoid attacks. Tank refuses,
challenging everyone’s bravery. Lani, Joe, and Cody also take up Tanks’s
challenge. In the middle of the night, it seems something snatches the four
rookies, but it was all a teamwork test. Cody and Lani watch the stars, taking
in all the excitement from the day, and Cody shares that he feels more
fulfilled in his life.
The crew resumes across an old abandoned bridge wire, and everyone
makes it across relatively easily, but Cody gets too hotheaded in his attempts
to outdo Tank, and has everyone fall down a cliff to their deaths.
Just kidding.
They find an ancient village with a surfer’s hall of fame. Cody wants
to be remembered for his feats, but J.C. assures him that there’s more to life
than just being famous. The other teams are in different parts of the ruins,
with one team in a room full of treasure. Tank takes a gold and jeweled
surfboard in exchange for his old surfboard. In the evening, Tank and Cody
start a fight, which naturally leads to the actual WRESTLING part of the movie.
It’s too short, in my opinion, but, then again, it’s a surfing movie, not a
wrestling movie.
The next part of their trip takes them through lava. Obviously,
surfing lava is pretty much impossible. Cody gets the idea to make a hang
glider to fly over it. Cody, once again, quarrels with Tank, revealing this
time that he has no plans to return home, to Lani’s dismay. Cody’s officially
become too full of himself, looking out for himself rather than realize that he
is a well-respected penguin already. Cody fights with Tank over the lava,
causing Chicken Joe to lose his board and almost his life. The Undertaker saves
his life, but everyone is disappointed in Cody’s attitude. Cody overhears Mr.
McMahon’s disappointment in Cody, and leaves his board with Chicken Joe and
leaves. Lani starts to look for him, but J.C. stops her, feeling fully
confident that Cody will cool off. The remainder of the group goes off to the
Trenches, where a storm is brewing.
In Cody’s meandering, he comes across a monument to a legendary surfer
who protects his people by doing a ritual called RTL – Ride the Lightning. He
runs off to tell them. The rest of the bunch arrives. Lani, being a lifeguard,
practices caution, and stays out. Chicken Joe is not up for the challenge,
either, but receives an honorary membership. Tank rides with the Hang 5, but
freaks out at the crest and wipes out. The Hang 5 wipes out at the wave, and
the Undertaker gets hit by a lightning bolt. Lani tries to revive him, but Chicken
Joe revives him with electric jellyfish.
Tank gets stranded in the water, but Cody tries to save him. J.C. ends
up saving them both. Cody essentially redeems himself, and he and Tank get
along. Cody gets offered the final spot, but turns it down to stay home as a
surf teacher. McMahon ends up staying to keep on enjoying adventures with the
Hang 5...
…Thereby rendering this movie absolutely pointless. *sigh* What a
cop-out.
The movie ends with the original commercial segment, but this time, the academy
is advertised by Cody, Lani, Chicken Joe, Tank, and the Hang 5. There are also
some “outtakes” in the credits.
What can I say about this movie? I had VERY low expectations,
considering this was a surf movie done by wrestling pros. It, like the first
movie, was not very bad, however. I kinda enjoyed it. It wasn’t a very good
movie as far as plot goes, but it’s a nice afternoon feel-good flick for
anybody who’s seen Surf’s Up (or
not), and has an hour and a half to spare.
Oh, plugging? I did that earlier.
Who’s your favorite athlete?
