A splashing good time!

Stars from "Surf's Up" drop in for a preview of the animated film

Surfing champions Kelly Slater and Rob Machado navigated the red carpet and its cacophony of reporters, cameras and fans like a couple of seasoned actors. Both athletes make cameo voice appearances (and consulted heavily with artists about wave formation) in the animated movie "Surf's Up."

They also hold their own with rising stars Shia LaBeouf, Jon Heder, Zooey Deschanel and "Sex and the City's" Mario Cantone, as well as veterans Jeff Bridges and James Woods.

The "mockumentary" will be released to theaters nationwide on Friday. But Hawaii got a sneak preview of the movie -- and the associated glitter -- when Sony Pictures began its publicity blitz with a red-carpet premiere at the Ward 16 Theatres late last month.

Though the film is set on the fictional Pen Gu island, and producers and animators admitted they perused pictures of beaches from all over the world to inspire their illustrations. Hawaii seemed the ideal location for the launch. Why not let pasty-white members of the mainland media interview celebrities in tents set up in the sand at the Kahala Hotel & Resort? And take surfing lessons in Waikiki from Slater and Machado before spending the afternoon sipping fruity beverages adorned with umbrellas? That could inspire some favorable articles!

The good news is that this delightful film doesn't need any help. Local fans looking for specific references to Hawaii, however, will be disappointed. The characters do wear leis, one is named Lani Aliikai and another says, "The ancient Hawaiians believed their mana was transferred into the board when you shaped it." Other than that, the visually dazzling story romps through an unidentified fantasy world while tackling some real-life issues about success, failure, love, acceptance and the true meaning of family.

Shia LaBeouf entered a conference room at the Kahala Hotel & Resort wearing a faded green T-shirt and jeans. "I'm a loser," he declared to press gathered from several different countries. "I didn't pack well."

Not that it mattered. LaBeouf would go from one interview to the next, leaving no time for the beach. Besides, he admitted later, insurance restrictions would not allow the 20-year-old star of "Even Stevens," "Disturbia," "Transformers" and the new "Indiana Jones" movie to surf, dirt-bike or do anything that might physically harm the hot commodity.

LaBeouf was in town last month with his co-stars to promote "Surf's Up," an animated action movie opening nationwide this Friday. He plays a surfing penguin named Cody Maverick.

Despite the compelling script, the stars admitted to plenty of ad-lib activity in the sound booth. "It has this reality show vibe," said LaBeouf. "It's more 'Spinal Tap-py.'"

To make everything feel and sound authentic, the cast physically acted out some scenes, even though their bodies would never be viewed by the audience. Many of the unplanned moments that arose from this unusual approach ended up in the final product. Indeed, the directors voice the parts of fictional filmmakers in the "mockumentary," and their real-life offspring play kids featured in side commentaries.

"Everything was driven by the story and a need to feel spontaneous and organic," said director Ash Brannon.

Both LaBeouf and co-star Jon Heder ("Blades of Glory") rebuffed claims that their characters were "great," and instead voted for "endearing." Indeed, the flaws make them lovable and honest. "In a movie like this, you really get to find the thread, the soul of the character," said LaBeouf.

When asked how they prepared for their performances, LaBeouf and Heder laughed. "You gotta talk to other penguins!" they said. "They're very prima-donna types."

All credited Jeff Bridges with setting the right mood. "Jeff is just really playful," said LaBeouf. "He's like a 9-year-old. He'll just riff all day long. You feel like you're in a sandbox." Bridges in turn complimented LaBeouf on his abilities as "a wonderful improviser."

The film and its unique style -- characters appear to be talking directly to a hand-held camera for a documentary feel -- was more than four years in the making, according to producers and directors. Though the animators had not surfed previously, they attempted the sport several times "because we thought it was important that they knew how it felt," said producer Christopher Jenkins. World champion surfers Kelly Slater and Rob Machado illustrated the trajectory of a surfer in the curl for the animation team that was devoted to the wave shots.

"Every movie has a style," said Mario Cantone, who voices promoter Mikey Abromowitz. "I mean, this movie has a look to it!" It also avoids the unrelated pop culture references so prevalent in other animated films, and "stays within the world," said Cantone, who laced his enthusiastic interview with language unsuitable for a family newspaper. "Otherwise it makes no sense!"

But LaBeouf could find himself a pop culture reference himself, as his level of recognition continues to soar.

Producers said they chose LaBeouf years ago after recognizing his talent in "Holes." They wanted a teenager, not an actor pretending to be a teenager. "He was a very real guy, and he still is," Jenkins said of LaBeouf. "He's got his feet on the ground."

This meshed well with Bridges' portrayal of Ezekiel "Big Z" Topanga, a legendary surfer past his prime and hiding from the world. "It's a father-and-son relationship in a metaphorical sense," said Jenkins, "but they're also the same person."

When Big Z plays the ukulele, it becomes a symbol of his rebirth. "Jeff had a ball doing it," said director Chris Buck of Bridges, who is also a musician. "We had to hide the ukulele!"

But it took more than an amusing song on the uke to attract Bridges to the project.

"What really got me on board was the surfing aspect and how well they pulled the water," said the longboarder, wearing an aloha shirt to the press conference. He stopped surfing about three decades ago, then began again about five years ago.

"It's kind of a challenge for me," he said. "I'm worried about hurting myself. But it's a wonderful feeling whether or not you catch a wave. It's a bit like fishing. You're out there, you're part of nature and you're looking at the land, and most times it's the other way around. There's something about it that gives you a different perspective on life."