Today’s quick review: The Nut Job. Surly (Will Arnett), a thieving squirrel, gets banished from the park when his selfish actions destroy the animals’ stockpile of food for the winter. Striking out on his own, he stumbles across the score of a lifetime: a nut shop being used as a front by a gang of bank robbers. To break in and steal the nuts, Surly agrees to work with Andie (Katherine Heigl) and split the take with the other animals.
The Nut Job is an animated family comedy about a squirrel planning a daring heist. Will Arnett stars as Surly, who has to put aside his selfish motives long enough to complete the heist and save his fellow animals from starvation. The Nut Job has a fine setup: a miniature bank robbery wrapped around a story about greed versus friendship. But the execution of this idea leaves plenty to be desired, with a sluggish plot and mediocre comedy.
The Nut Job has a host of minor issues that hold it back. Some of the most noticeable are a series of misses with its characters. Surly is a shade too mean to be likeable, and his redemption is not handled gracefully. Raccoon (Liam Neeson), the two-faced leader of the animals, makes for a dull villain. Grayson (Brendan Fraser), the self-proclaimed hero of the park, is another miss, a comedic character whose jokes never really land.
There are other flaws in The Nut Job’s comedy and storytelling. The jokes are fine, a mixture of animal humor and slapstick, but the timing is off. The movie lingers too long on gags that would have been fine in passing, and many of the punchlines are either too early or too late. The plot has a hard time building up momentum, a halting series of events rather than a smooth progression. What heart the story has struggles to shine through.
Still, The Nut Job has enough going for it to be entertaining. Some of the characters are a hit, including Andie, who sees the best in Surly, Buddy, his mute but loyal sidekick, and Precious (Maya Rudolph), an enthusiastic pug. The plans Surly comes up with are fairly clever, some of the slapstick hits the mark, and there is a nice sense of chaos about the proceedings. It’s just that these elements do not come together as a whole.
How much you get out of The Nut Job will vary considerably, but most viewers will find it to be a miss. It tries for the same blend of heart and mischief as other family films but gets the formula wrong, never tapping into the genre’s greatest strengths. Some viewers will have fun with its goofy humor and interesting premise, but those interested should approach with caution. For a more polished take on a very similar concept, try Over the Hedge.
[5.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1821658/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for hit-or-miss humor and flawed storytelling.