As far as studios are concerned, there is nothing more black-and-white than a balance sheet. So after the till-ringing, Oscar-winning success of March Of The Penguins and Happy Feet (as well as the penguin-powered Madagascar), another flightless fancy was inevitable.

Unfortunately, it seems that the penguins’ wave of popularity has crested: relatively speaking, Surf’s Up was a US box office wipe-out.

This, of course, is no indication of quality. The animation is certainly up to scratch (particularly the watery action) and the mock-documentary angle adds a freshness sadly lacking in recent cartoon contrivances like Shrek The Third.

Admittedly, much of its apparent inventiveness is borrowed.

The tide of throwaway background gags and cute, direct-to-camera interviews owe more than a passing debt to the Aardman studio’s Creature Comforts. And the story is little more than an extended sketch.

We join a documentary team in Shiverpool, Antarctica, to track the progress of flippery surf dude Cody Maverick - voiced by fast-rising Transformers star Shia Laboeuf in his fifth movie release of 2007 – as he makes a bid for surfing stardom.

Cody almost misses his chance, but eventually secures his passage to Pen Gu Island, the tropical location of the annual surfing competition held in the memory of legendary champion Big Z.

The event’s wily promoter Reggie Belafonte (Woods) – essentially Don King in otter form - can’t wait to see the young upstart take on reigning champ Tank Evans, an egotistical Emperor with a Barry White streak.

Cody’s first taste of Tank ends in embarrassment. His pride is partly restored by zoned-out new pal Chicken Joe (Jon ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ Heder) and baywatching chick Lani (Zooey Deschanel), but it’s Lani’s reclusive, flabby uncle (Bridges) who proves to be a surprisingly surf-savvy mentor.

Cody’s quest comes with all the usual kid-ucational messages - never give up; find your own way; winning isn’t everything; yada-yada-yada – but there’s enough chirp and cheek to keep the preachiness at bay.

But when one tube-riding chicken gets more laughs than all the surfing penguins put together - and since penguins belong in water anyway – you may wonder why they didn’t make the whole thing with barnyard animals on the boards. Turf’s Up, anyone?

Elliott Noble