Review of The Nut Job (2014) by Joel C — 21 Jan 2014

It's never a good sign when the most sympathetic character in your animated film is a nearly-mute rat, but thus is the existence of "The Nut Job," which otherwise features a startling lack of difference between its positioned protagonist and antagonist.

In one corner, we have Surly (voice of Will Arnett), a self-absorbed douchebag of a squirrel who wants all of the nuts in the land for himself. He is supposed to be character to root for. In the other corner, we have Raccoon (voice of a slumming Liam Neeson), a maniacal, um, raccoon who wants all of the nuts in the land for himself.

There is literally no difference between their motives, and screenwriters Peter Lepeniotis (who also directed) and Lorne Cameron don't help themselves by trying--and failing--to set up a convoluted dichotomy between the two characters and masking Raccoon's real plans for the food (meant to feed a park full of other urban woodland creatures) via a climactic "twist.

" The intrusion of a heist plot involving bumbling humans and a wise-cracking but never once funny bulldog is just that--an intrusion. "The Nut Job" exists to keep the kiddos occupied with a visually and aurally assaultive experience, so at least the ones who don't discern will get their wish.

Everyone else needn't bother.