Jan 18, 2014 2 min read

Not all rats look exactly alike, even animated ones. But there’s a real resemblance between a rat in “The Nut Job,” the new film by Peter Lepeniotis, and Remy, the main character in “Ratatouille,” that wonderful 2007 Pixar film.

And that’s not a good thing for “The Nut Job,” because anyone who makes that connection will be likely also remembering how “Ratatouille” showed so beautifully that an animated film, done with the right skill and imagination, can be equally enchanting to kids and adults. Something that “The Nut Job,” a decent but frankly forgettable entry to the animal-centered animated film oeuvre, does not.

The movie certainly looks nice. Colors are vibrant, particularly the reddish autumn shades of trees in Liberty Park, in fictional Oakton City, where much of the action takes place. There’s a lovely moment where shimmering water reflects the leaves above. And the whole thing has a period feel – mid-20th century – which is appealing, though confusing, too, when you see characters break into what looks like very 21st-century dancing at one point.

Like most animated films these days, “The Nut Job,” a joint Canadian-South Korean-U.S. production, trades on its celebrity voices, which here include Katherine Heigl, Brendan Fraser, Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph and, most recognizably, Liam Neeson, who sometimes sounds like he could be on a Shakespearean stage.

Not that you could call this dialogue Shakespearean. Or even witty. This being a film about squirrels and their nuts, kids will enjoy the “nut” puns, and parents will groan. “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.”

The story is simple: The animals are facing a severe nut shortage just as winter is approaching. Ultimately, the animals and pitted against human criminals.

It’s all mildly entertaining – if slightly nuts.