Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania is a MEME
Henry Yu’s Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania decides to move away to what made the first film so fresh and original; its mockumentary approach à la cinéma vérité, Brault’s Pour la suite du monde being directors Ash Brannon and Chris Buck’s principal inspiration. In this installment, Cody (voiced by Jeremy Shada) joins The Hang 5, a group of ultimate surfers played by WWE Superstars: Paige, John Cena, Triple H, Vince McMahon and The Undertaker into RTL in the trenches, the most dangerous surfing spot it exists!
Film critic Tommy Givens said the film was “transcendently poignant” and compared it to BBC’s experimental Teletubbies, being one of the most avant-garde, experimental shows that existed in the form of brainwashing childrens’ minds to everlasting trauma. Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania is more than transcendently poignant.Its 2000 — style (particularly early DreamWorks with Antz) animation gives the film an empty visual style, compared to its experimentally, unironic, documentary style in the last movie. That style is thrown out of the window in favor of bland animation and lifeless worlds. Compared to the 2007 film’s lush Pen Gu, this Pen Gu is blocked by NOT ENOUGH MONEY, and, because of that, its vision of the island isn’t fully realized. The voice cast is also pretty mediocre. The only returning cast member from the original film is Jon Heder who is basically desperate to gain MONEY, so he’ll do anything to get a bit of PENNIES, even if the script seems UNINSPIRED or flat-out sucks.
The best characters of the movie are, unquestionably, The High 5 — and they are the ones that make the movie watchable, particularly John Cena who seems to have the most fun. But there’s nothing there. It’s got a great positive message on not being an egotistical asshole who wants to WIN, WIN, WIN all the time and always care about the ones you love. Cody Maverick is the real asshole here, wanting to impress The High 5 into joining their team after Mr. McMahon announces his retirement. With many tribulations, Cody realizes that he shouldn’t join The High 5 — because he already is a somebody, something he thought would change when he was offered to join the team. He is a somebody at Pen Gu, with Lani (Melissa Sturm), Chicken Joe and his surfing school. The message is positive and wonderfully felt, and Maverick changes as a character (he evolves from egotistical asshole who thinks he got rubbed the wrong way from saving CHICKEN JOE). The movie wants you, the kid watching this, to evolve as a human being. That alone is respectable. The story is watchable, but highly predictable. There are signs everywhere that tells you that Cody will NOT join The High 5 at the end, so don’t be surprised that he doesn’t join them. The 4 main characters (Cody, Joe, Lani, Tank) are voiced terribly, but the WWE Stars who voices The High 5 looks like they’re having a lot of fun. The animation is particularly drab.
There isn’t anything else to say. If you have a kid, see it. If you don’t, skip it!
✯✯✯
