Are you like me? Did the trailers for the animated kids' comedy "Surf's Up" make you want to gag on your sushi? Did the sight of cute penguins on surfboards make you want to reach for the nearest harpoon -- or, better, hungry leopard seal -- and just take those little critters out?

Well, guess what happened: Somewhere between the overrated "Happy Feet" and all those recent documentaries about young, blond jockies of various boards (skate, surf, snow and boogie), "Surf's Up" managed to come up with a nifty family movie with enough of a new-old look and fresh vocal talent to make it a refreshing break from summer retreads.

Shia LaBeouf (late of the sleeper hit "Disturbia") voices teenage penguin Cody Maverick, who longs to leave his fish-sorting job in Shiverpool and ride the tubes with his surfing heroes. Cody is plucked out of obscurity one wintry day (they're all wintry in Shiverpool) and finds himself in a competition memorializing his hero, surfing star Big Z.

When Cody makes the acquaintance of a comely lifeguard (Zooey Deschanel) and a crusty old salt (Jeff Bridges), he finds there are bigger things in life than winning. It's an old story, but directors Ash Brannon and Chris Buck infuse it with terrific wit and energy, structuring "Surf's Up" like a mock documentary and doing a remarkable job of approximating vintage film stock, from black-and-white to deeply saturated Super-8. It's cool but not too cool, and cute but not too cute. A neat trick considering its overexposed avian cast.

-- Ann Hornaday

Contains mild language (including way too many uses of "butt") and rude humor.