"Right off the bat, this film is beautiful, the animation is second to none"

In a year that has seen the likes of Rio 2, Mr. Peabody & Sherman The LEGO® Movie and How to Train Your Dragon 2 dominate, it's great to see the latest animated offering from Warner Bros. called The Nut Job released, this little gem of a movie is fantastic!

The Nut Job is essentially a heist movie with Squirrels, the film follows Surly (Will Arnett) a mischievous self serving squirrel who has been exiled from the park, who plans to steal from the biggest nut store in town in order for the park residents to have enough food for their winter stock.

Along the way he discovers that Raccoon (Liam Neeson) has his own agenda that may prove disastrous for all those who reside in the park.

Right off the bat, this film is beautiful, the animation is second to none and lends itself well to the 3D that is used, which isn't used in a gimmicky way, it merely enhances the adventure and brings added depth to proceedings.

The ensemble voice cast is fantastic, with Will Arnett being the stand out, however Brendan Fraser is hilarious as the absent minded Grayson and Katherine Heigl shines as Andie, who serves as the voice of reason and Liam Neeson makes an amazing villain, he's so diverse and he's wonderful.

The stand out character for me, was Surly's only friend Buddy, the rat doesn't speak for the majority of the film, but is able to steal the show with every scene that he is in, and convey so much emotion with just his eyes and facial expressions.

The Nut Job is a fantastic achievement, both with its story and direction, and while it may not be the most original in its premise, it is highly enjoyable for the entire family.