The Nut Job 2014

Wesley Morris, Grantland: The whole thing looks like a video game you'd rather not play. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: The small-town setting of a half-century ago is beautifully animated by director Peter Lepenotis and his team, and there are some nicely staged old-school action sequences. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: "The Nut Job" comes up short compared with a film like "Ratatouille," which, despite its less-than-adorable rodents, won audiences over through appealing voicework and writing. Read more

Kevin McFarland, AV Club: Every beat of the story is a watered-down, jokeless version of previous children's films ... The Nut Job seems designed to trick misinformed parents into plopping down money to occupy their children for just over an hour. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Arnett is a great comedic actor, an acidic wit. But here his Surly is just a selfish jerk. If there weren't some redemption involved, this wouldn't be a by-the-numbers animated feature. But it is, and there is, and it is wholly predictable. Read more

Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press: ''Let's not get too nutty about this,'' one character says. ''Sorry, I went a little nuts,'' says another. The movie's slogan: ''No nuts, no glory.'' Read more

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: Spins its wheels like rodents in a Habitrail. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: "The Nut Job" fights its protagonist's own charmlessness from the first scene. Turning a dislikable leading character a little less dislikable by the end credits sets an awfully low bar for this sort of thing. Read more

Laremy Legel, Film.com: Relentlessly awful. Read more

Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: A whimsical period setting helps this 3D animated caper escape some overly familiar trappings. Read more

Annlee Ellingson, Los Angeles Times: The Nut Job features decent CG animation, especially of animals, but the writing isn't particularly clever, relying on obvious puns and slapstick humor. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: The overall mood resembles a furry, nut-based version of Stanley Kubrick's "The Killing." Read more

Joel Arnold, NPR: Once Surly and Buddy case the joint, develop a plan, and deal with the inevitable surprises, The Nut Job could be any classic caper flick. Read more

Jordan Hoffman, New York Daily News: The cartoon is stuffed with exhausting visual mayhem. Some jokes land, but most kids over 10 will roll their eyes. Read more

Miriam Bale, New York Times: "The Nut Job" features muddy-colored and often ugly animation, a plot that feels too stretched out and loaded with details to hold the attention of most children, and more flatulence jokes than anyone deserves. Read more

Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: Grotesquely wrongheaded. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: Someone spent a lot of time making the architecture and production design match the era. Grandparents getting dragged to "The Nut Job" will be appreciative. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The burnished backgrounds are pleasant to look at, but finding something to savor in the story is a tough nut to crack. Read more

Bill Zwecker, Chicago Sun-Times: The bottom line: Kids may be mildly amused by The Nut Job, but adults accompanying them won't find much to capture their interest. Read more

Adam Nayman, Globe and Mail: Only a multilevel chase sequence involving Surly and some glowing-eyed street rats has any real kinetic excitement, and the supporting characters lack visual distinction. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: If The Nut Job fails to connect through its characters it deserves praise for being a visually inspired effort, with clear homage paid to 1950s animation styles, especially Warner Bros. classics. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: Merely shrill and frantic, chock-full of uninspired characters and tedious wackiness. Read more

Trevor Johnston, Time Out: Pretty much everything in this South Korean co-production is slightly undercooked, lacking the same degree of sprightly wit or dramatic punch regularly found in A-list studio product. Read more

Scott Bowles, USA Today: When the story gets stale, the movie inserts a "nuts" pun or, worse, resorts to a gas or burp joke. It doesn't work the first time, nor the fifth. Read more

Chris Packham, Village Voice: Good-natured and completely forgettable ... Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: The Nut Job is a delightfully goofy slapstick cartoon with a surprisingly dark heart. Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: That feeling of been-there-done-that is pervasive, with many of the jokes sounding like they were ripped off from other movies. Read more