Penguins keep waddling into our hearts

Anatomical practicalities give penguins many of their human qualities, Miller said. Their bulk insulates them against the cold. Their wings evolved as flippers in the water, so they resemble arms. Their black hue helps them absorb more heat to stay warm in water, while their white bellies camouflage them from fish on which they prey. So they end up looking like little people in formal wear.

“All those things go toward them reminding us enormously of ourselves,” said Miller, whose “Happy Feet” won the Oscar for animated films. “They are like humans. It’s very easy to turn them into fables. In our movie, the penguins themselves represent humans, and the humans are indeed the aliens.”

The question for the makers of “Surf’s Up” is whether the market can bear another animated penguin flick. Audiences last year seemed to tire of the wave of cartoon tales featuring cute talking animals. The films that worked generally were ones that distinguished themselves from the pack, such as “Cars” did with talking autos and “Happy Feet” did with its musical numbers and realistic animation.

The “Surf’s Up” filmmakers incorporated a “Happy Feet” reference: LaBeouf’s character says early on that he’s a surfer who doesn’t sing or dance.

“We figured what the heck. It’s out there. Let’s make a nod to it right at the beginning,” said Ash Brannon, who co-directed “Surf’s Up” with Chris Buck.

Doubling up on similar scenarios is not unusual in Hollywood. In 1998, the insect cartoons “Antz” and “A Bug’s Life” both found eager audiences, as did the dueling asteroid adventures “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact.”

This summer’s rodent animated comedy “Ratatouille” follows last fall’s rat tale “Flushed Away.”

“I don’t like them to lump us together with another movie,” said Brad Bird, director of “Ratatouille,” a comedy about a rat who longs to become a chef in a French restaurant. “You show any 12 minutes from the movies, I think you’ll see we’re an extremely different movie” from “Flushed Away.” It's the story of a pampered pet mouse trying to survive among sewer rats after he’s sucked down the toilet.

Likewise, crowds should have little trouble distinguishing “Surf’s Up” from “Happy Feet.” “Surf’s Up” is done as a mockumentary in the style of “This Is Spinal Tap,” with the penguins seen in improvised interview segments amid the buildup to a surfing competition.

“It all comes down to how involving the story is, because from what I’ve seen of the trailers on ‘Surf’s Up,’ it’s such a different kettle of fish, or kettle of penguins,” said “Happy Feet” director Miller. “If the story’s strong and the film enchants, it should not be harmed in any way by being yet another penguin movie.”