這禮拜一連看了兩部美國的動畫電影「Surf’s Up」和「the Simpsons」，其實我本來沒有打算要分享心得，但是自從有個外文系畢業的跟我說：「Surf’s Up 好難看喔！妳是我目前唯一聽到覺得好看的！」，我憋不住發自內心的俠女精神，要說一聲「I beg to differ」。
這年頭滿街都是像他這樣的「自以為是專家」，而他似乎真的以為他放的屁比較香，我實在是看不出來他的專長在那裡，除了滿嘴的胡說八道和一派瘋瘋癲癲，我還真是找不到他比別人特殊的地方。不要把自己的無知怪罪於他人，不要因為自己沒看懂，就說電影不好看！說不出個所以然來的人是沒有資格評論的！
Just because you didn’t get it，don’t blame it on the movie！The movie is fine and you’re the one that’s no good！You’re the problem，PRICK！！！
「Surf’s Up」is the first CGI movie that is featured as a mockumentary. Making a documentary is hard enough, let alone a mockumentary in the form of animation. There’s so much more to 「Surf’s Up」than meets the eye. We have never seen water, ocean, and waves so real in animation until now.
It was funny when one of the crew members asked Cody the penguin if he could sing or dance. It’s clear that he’s referring to the Emperor Penguins in the Oscar-winning animation「Happy Feet」.
There’s more. The nine-time champion penguin surfer Tank Evans named all his trophies by names. One of them was Jeannie. He said, 「I dream of Jeannie！」It’s a punchline only obvious to those who are fans of Jeannie!
「I dream of Jeannie！」 is a TV series from 1965-1970 and the tale of 「Genie in the bottle」.
From ESPN in the real world to SPEN in the penguin world, the eight time world champion surfer Kelly Slater played himself in「Surf’s Up」 as a sports broadcaster. The status Kelly Slater possesses in surfing is like Michael Jordan in basketball. Pro-surfer Rob Machado also voiced for himself as the other sports broadcaster reporting live from the annual penguin world surfing championship. Seeing Rob Machado’s signature Afro made me laugh ‘cuz he looks just like that in real life!
Adding Kelly Slater and Rob Machado to the ensemble is very clever! They’re great friends just like Cody and Chicken Joe. And they went through the same ordeal as Cody and Chicken Joe competed against each other for the champion title.
In 1995 everyone wondered what would happen to their friendship when they were in a head-to-head battle that would decide the next surfing champ. A competition turned into a performance of stunts. They surfed beautifully and put the world title behind them. At one point they even high-fived each other!
Cody vs. Chicken Joe and Kelly vs. Rob have much in common but I’m not going to say another word about it. The result? It’s for me to know and for you to find out!
The production team did their homework on the surfing culture. From the dialogs alone, Cody and Chicken Joe sound like two laid-back surfer dudes. This movie can be used as 「surfing for dummies」 for those who are new to the surfing culture.
If you’re a surfer, you’ll appreciate the effort that the animation team put into this movie. Details, Details, Details! If you’re keen on surfing icons, you’ll see some of the very best surfers as well.
The moral of the story is that anything you do is for fun. You do it simply because you enjoy it, not for fame, money or trophy. I think Rob Machado will certainly agree with me!
One great thing about movies is that you can learn so much about different cultures through the world of cinema and you don’t even need to travel far to experience the best every popular culture has to offer.
Remember the opening scene in「Breakfast at Tiffany’s」? That was my first encounter with the jewelry brand Tiffany & Co. I was intrigued by the sight of Audrey Hepburn standing in front of the granite window display while eating Danish pastries. My curiosity led me to study the history of Tiffany & Co. and I realized why Tiffany & Co. was chosen to be featured in the film. This film soon became my all-time favorite flick and I fell in love with the jewelries from Tiffany & Co.
Last Sunday August 5th marked the 45th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death. And I learn that author Truman Capote had Marilyn Monroe in mind when he was writing 「Breakfast at Tiffany’s」. But Monroe’s drama coach turned it down ‘cuz 「playing a call girl was no good for her image」. Imagine if it was Marilyn Monroe singing 「Moon River」instead of Audrey Hepburn? That would change the course of American film history.
Even though Marilyn Monroe didn’t get to gaze through Tiffany’s window display, she did get to sing about Tiffany in 「Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend」in the 1953 movie「Gentlemen Prefer Blondes」.
All of that knowledge resulted from watching one movie. You just never know how a film can make a difference in your life and maybe teach you a thing or two. Learning does a body good just like surfing. At least you’ll discover all there’s to know about surfing from 「Surf’s Up」 even if you never tried surfing. Who knows? Maybe this is the beginning of another surfing amateur!
