Something of a rarity in the recent batch of animated children's films, this ones actually pretty good. The visuals are stunning, but the stories good too. Usually you only see this with Pixar films. That's not to say that Dreamworks animated features aren't any good, it's just that movies like Shrek or Madagascar are lower down the ladder than The Incredibles or Bugs Life. Gone are the usual plethora of pop-culture references, and for once there are actual characters with motivations. I'd recommend this for the kids (and it's adult friendly too). Check it out.

Plot Synopsis:

Young penguin Cody is the subject of a surfing documentary charting his rise to fame in the Big Z Classic. Cody idolised a famous Surfer, Big Z, as a replacement for his father who was eaten by an orca. Big Z is presumed killed after surfing into an area of jagged rocks during a competition.

Cody manages to join the Big Z Classic tour, and after a serious accident in the first leg of the competition due to the local jock penguin, Cody is taken to a reclusive hermit penguin to recover. During their time together they improve each other's outlook on life - and Cody discovers this hermit is Big Z.

Cody is trained by Big Z, and re-enters the competition. He fails to win the competition by saves his chicken friend, and learns to find greater value in things than competition and trophies.