Review of The Nut Job (2014) by Aron K — 20 Apr 2014

The Nut Job is a highly energetic, action-packed cartoon, which may not have an Oscar-worthy story or be appealing to adults, but it provides a wild and funny entertainment in a darkly cheerful manner. More similar to a classic caper flicks like the Ocean's Eleven franchise, The Italian Job or The Bank Job, The Nut Job is far from being perfect, but simply funny animation.

Surly is a mischievous squirrel, who together with his mute rat friend Buddy, are disturbing a park's animal inhabitants with their endless food heists. By refusing to obey common animal rules, they manage to cause almost a disaster for the dozens of park animals preparing for the cold winter. When banned from the park, Surly and Buddy (or actually Surly, followed by Buddy) find out a nuts shop which they decided to rob and to act as modern Robin Hood. When a female squirrel called Andy gets involved in the preparation of the nuts heist all is set up for a wild adventure in which the hidden villain would be the leader of the animal community.

It is true that the story is not anything special, the emotional load does not exist and that this Open Road Films delivery could not match the modern classics of Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks. However, its hyper-energetic main character, sweet and mute Buddy and the action provided in the story ensure that at least the youngest among the audience would be perfectly entertained. It delivers exactly what it promises: predictable, simple, 90 minute-long fun which sometimes looks as a video-game but in the end it works just fine.