Students from St Mary of the Angels Nathalia will be experiencing what it is like to be a ‘Journalist For A Day’ in The News’ new weekly column, contributing stories they have worked on in class about topics and issues they are passionate about.
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The first time I watched Surf’s Up, all I remember was seeing it as a silly children’s movie about some penguin.
But as a teenager, I can now see how it has educated me and younger people on important qualities most should adopt; enlightening qualities such as: never giving up on yourself; and the importance of trial and error.
These pearls of wisdom, in my view, are why all kids should be shown the movie Surf's Up, directed by Chris Buck and Ash Brannon.
Our story begins with 17-year-old Cody Maverick.
Hailing from Shiverpool, Antarctica, the young macaroni penguin recites his dreams of becoming an all-time great surfer.
Combined with his childhood memories and his biggest inspiration, Big Z, his passion grows beyond Shiverpool and to the Big Z Memorial Competition.
The importance of trial and error relates back to Cody, as people constantly beat him down, referring to him as a “Farkakte kid with that thing on the water”.
Even his own family gets in on the action, with his brother Glen saying he's not a real man for “shirking his responsibilities”.
One of Cody's first challenges is escaping Shiverpool Island.
At first, Mikey, who is a scout, doesn’t believe in Cody’s hopes and orders the whale to leave; however, Cody refuses to give this up and is lifted by chicken Joe on to the whale, making it up to The Big Z Memorial to take on his next challenge, Tank Evans.
His second challenge comes in the form of Tank ‘the shredder’ Evans.
Immediately, Cody is challenged by Tank to face off on the most significant wave. Swimming up to the wave, the words of aspirations that Cody thinks are narrated: “It's gonna be amazing, Honestly it’s gonna be the best wave of my life, I hope the cameras are rolling because you’re gonna wanna watch it over and over again,” Cody tells himself, teaching kids that even under pressure you can keep yourself calm and composed.
After barely swimming over the first wave, Tank tries to scare Cody with the line “I’m gonna churn the water with your face.”
Unfazed, Cody holds himself up with, “Bring it on, pecker face.”
Once the next wave comes, Maverick attempts to ride it and tragically falls off — the moment replaying on the screen four times.
Throughout Surf’s Up, the young viewers are taught an A1 example of diehard friendship as illustrated by chicken Joe and Cody Maverick.
They prove to the young audience that despite the embarrassment and shame your friends experience, you cannot stop believing in them.
In Cody’s first error of falling off the wave, he nearly dies; he stops breathing and gets dragged out into the woods.
Once awakened, he does not have the confidence to return to the competition. During that time, everyone was making a mockery of Cody. Chicken Joe was the only one to show concern and go out searching.
In his own words, “Cody! I know he’s out here; I can feel it in my nuggets.” One of the most important messages the film conveys to its younger audience is that even if the crowd doesn’t care, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care either.
Surf’s Up is an enlightening movie that inspires positivity in children in a world consumed by negativity.
It tells us to embrace those around us, and finally, how important it is to experience setbacks.
