There's nothing childish about the penguins in this delightful action animation from directors Ash Brannon (Toy Story 2) and Chris Buck (Tarzan). The script is smart, the vocal acting smarter and its presentation as a fake documentary cleverest of all. It's that slick mockumentary device that might distract the kids while proving endlessly entertaining for adults. The tale begins with a surfing penguin history lesson, illustrated with scratchy "archival" footage and related by cocky rockhopper interviewee Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf). The focus then switches to a TV crew covering his journey to a surf competition in Hawaii. There, he bonds with washed-up champ Big Z (voiced by a marvellous Jeff Bridges) and learns that winning isn't everything. Apart from some authentic-looking waves, the animation isn't anything special. It's the Spinal Tap-like jibes at televised sports and reality shows, the warmth of the supporting characters (Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder) and the memorable one-liners that make it almost as much fun as Happy Feet.

A young surfer enters his first contest, hoping a win will earn him respect. But an encounter with a laid-back local forces him to rethink his values.