Title: The Nut Job
Director: Peter Lepeniotis
Starring: Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Stephen Lang, Jeff Dunham, Gabriel Iglesias, Sarah Gadon.
‘The Nut Job’ undoubtably is meant for nutty audiences, who get thrilled by action-packed slapstick comedy with cute quirky animals.
The story is set in fictional Oakton and follows the travails of Surly, a mischievous squirrel, and his rat friend Buddy, who plan a nut store heist of outrageous proportions and unwittingly find themselves embroiled in a much more complicated and hilarious adventure.
The craftily written script has a sub-plot that intertwines with the squirrels’ quest to attain the nuts: the human characters are planing a bank robbery and the nut store is a cover for the four men, who plot to dig an underground tunnel to the First Oakton Bank located across the street.
Director Peter Lepeniotis, besides having excellently given life to the screenplay he co-wrote with Lorne Cameron, picked some very gifted actors to give voice to the playful, humdinger characters: Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Stephen Lang, Jeff Dunham, Gabriel Iglesias, Sarah Gadon.
Adding to the dramatic quality of the story is the music: Paul Intson outdid himself with a colourful balance between romping adventure score, and zany over the top classic 50’s cartoon sensibilities. Whereas for the aural dimension of the movie, Sound Effects Designer David Evans elevated the film’s viewing experience by crafting unique sounds for each of the characters and situations.
‘The Nut Job’ never leaves anything to chance; heroes and villains, daring rescues, comic mix-ups and a thrill-ride ending sure to satisfy audiences.
Technical: B
Acting: B
Story: B-
Overall: B
Written by: Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
