The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature

(Open Road Films, ToonBox Entertainment, Gulfstream Pictures | Open Road Films) Director: Carl Brunker Release Date: August 11, 2017 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 10% Synopsis: Surly Squirrel and his bumbling critter friends unite against the actions of the town’s crooked mayor, who wants to bulldoze their woodland home and replace it with an amusement park. Box Office to Date: $42.3 million worldwide The Word: “Like its predecessor, The Nut Job 2 struggles to keep its momentum up in the face of a strangely loaded plot and ever-changing motivations for its various characters, particularly Surly, who zings between faithful friend and self-involved jerk with all the energy of a manic hamster.” – Kate Erbland, IndieWire. Nomination Chances: While 2017 has provided bigger surprises, the chance of a nomination here is a NASAscale long-shot.