The Nut Job
Open Road Films | Release Date: January 17, 2014 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
37
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
16
Negative:
8
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriJan 17, 2014
A delightfully goofy slapstick cartoon with a surprisingly dark heart. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesBill ZweckerJan 16, 2014
While the animation is quite good and the filmmakers have brought together an excellent group of actors to provide the voice talent, the storyline leaves us with a tale more reminiscent of Saturday morning kids’ programming. Read full review
63
New York PostLou LumenickJan 15, 2014
The Nut Job has an interesting anti-socialist subtext, with the seemingly benevolent raccoon revealing himself as a power-mad dictator. It’s the most political non-Pixar cartoon feature since the very left-leaning “The Ant Bully’’ eight years ago. Read full review
63
McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreJan 15, 2014
Better than any animated film released in the doldrums of January has a right to be. Read full review
60
NPRJoel ArnoldJan 16, 2014
Given the feel-good themes of the average kids' movie — be yourself, follow the golden rule, love each other, blah blah blah — it's refreshing to see an animated comedy chuck that guck and focus on a real jerk. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comSusan WloszczynaJan 17, 2014
Too bad that the makers of The Nut Job eagerly purloined Scrat's primal motivation—food—but failed to note the charm of his minimalist approach. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Adam NaymanJan 16, 2014
The Nut Job has a certain lo-fi charm, but it’s hardly a world-beater; with all due respect to Surly, Rocky J. Squirrel’s place in the pantheon would seem to be safe for another 50 years. Read full review
50
Washington PostStephanie MerryJan 16, 2014
Sometimes the punch lines land and sometimes they don’t, but overall the result is pleasantly nostalgic. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubJan 16, 2014
Forgettably mediocre, but it's not atrocious. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenJan 11, 2014
The production squeaks by on the visual charm of art director Ian Hastings’ period touches and warm autumnal hues. The voice talent is a decidedly mixed bag. Read full review
40
The GuardianMike McCahillSep 22, 2014
The absence of new or sustainable ideas dooms it to instant mediocrity. Read full review
40
EmpireOlly RichardsJul 28, 2014
Endless wordplay and dumb slapstick do not a rewarding animation make. Pun-ishing. Read full review
40
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottJan 17, 2014
Once the opening credits end, it turns out The Nut Job"= is far more "Romper Room" than "Step Brothers." Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesAnnlee EllingsonJan 16, 2014
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 full review
40
The New York TimesMiriam BaleJan 16, 2014
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 full review
40
New York Daily NewsJordan HoffmanJan 16, 2014
Focused mostly on one location, the cartoon is stuffed with exhausting visual mayhem. Some jokes land, but most kids over 10 will roll their eyes. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesJan 15, 2014
The richly hued CG animation is quite nice – a mix of hyperdetailed character work and painterly cityscapes and pastorals – and the script putters along with small but regular amusements. Read full review
40
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzJan 15, 2014
Peter Lepeniotis’ animated film brings together a good cast, including Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser and Liam Neeson, which sounds like a sweet deal. But it places them in an uninspired little movie about selfish behavior, which, while overcome (of course), never really manages to escape its bitter roots. Read full review
40
Village VoiceChris PackhamJan 14, 2014
Good-natured and completely forgettable. Read full review
40
VarietyPeter DebrugeJan 11, 2014
The critters look cute, but behave less so, while the competing-heists concept never quite takes off. Read full review
38
USA TodayScott BowlesJan 16, 2014
Despite some high-caliber voice talent and shimmering animation, it's hard to get a bead on this tale. Read full review
38
St. Louis Post-DispatchJoe WilliamsJan 16, 2014
This dead-on-arrival ’toon is some of the worst p.r. for rodents since bubonic plague hit medieval Europe. Read full review
38
Boston GlobeTom RussoJan 16, 2014
The plot doesn’t take clever turns, the visual thrills aren’t all that thrilling, and you’re ultimately left to get your heist-movie kicks elsewhere. Read full review
30
The DissolveTasha RobinsonJan 16, 2014
Even at 86 minutes, with plenty of chases and action sequences thrown in, The Nut Job feels overstretched and arbitrary. Read full review
25
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsJan 16, 2014
Big problem straight off: tone. The violence isn't slapsticky; it's just violent. Read full review
25
Slant MagazineChris CabinJan 14, 2014
There's no personality in the design or the script, which only renders the cynical aftertaste of this convoluted one-squirrel-against the-world story all the more potent. Read full review
11
Film.comLaremy LegelJan 16, 2014
Relentlessly awful. Read full review
0
The A.V. ClubKevin McFarlandJan 15, 2014
The most egregious problem with The Nut Job is how shamelessly it fills in the gaps left by expanding Lepeniotis’ short with generic and tedious rogue-to-hero cliché. Read full review
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