The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (2017)

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature is a 2017 3D computer-animated comedy film directed by Escape from Planet Earth director Cal Brunker and written by Brunker, Bob Barlen and Scott Bindley. A sequel to The Nut Job (2014), it stars the voices of Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, Jackie Chan, Katherine Heigl, Bobby Moynihan, Bobby Cannavale, Isabela Moner, Jeff Dunham, and Gabriel Iglesias. Produced by Gulfstream Pictures, Redrover International and ToonBox Entertainment, the film was released theatrically on August 11, 2017, by Open Road Films.

## Plot

After his relationship with the other animals improved over the past nine months, Surly Squirrel is now loved by Liberty Park's Urban wildlife community, and currently overseeing an all-you-can-eat buffet at Maury's Nut Shop. This worries Andie, as she prefers a more hard-working outlook on life. Despite Surly's reassurances all is well, Maury's Nut Shop is accidentally blown up by Mole after he forgets to cut down pressure from the boiler. Andie takes the opportunity to try getting the animals back to their roots by foraging for food in Liberty Park while Surly and Buddy try to find other food-packed places, but fail each time. Defeated, he and Buddy decide to return to the park.

Meanwhile, Mayor Percival J. Muldoon, the unscrupulous Mayor of Oakton City, relishes in his wealth that comes from profit-making locations across Oakton City. However, he notices Liberty Park never makes money, so he decides to turn it into an Amusement Park named Libertyland to pocket more cash. Surly and Andie discover Muldoon's plot, and Surly convinces the animals to fight back, which they do successfully, and they manage to sabotage the construction worker's efforts to tear down the park.

That night, however, Surly's enjoyment is short-lived when Andie attempts to convince the animals to work hard for food as he believes it can result in disappointment. When the construction workers' foreman tells Muldoon about the animal attacks, he calls an extermination squad led by Gunther to get rid of the animals.

The next day, Surly gets caught in one of Gunther's traps, and the animals are pursued by Muldoon's dog, Frankie, who later falls in love with Precious. Surly and Buddy head out to rescue her while Andie and the rest find a new park.

While searching for Muldoon's car, Surly and Buddy run afowl with a colony of territorial white mice led by Chinese-accented white mouse Mr. Feng. They manage to evade the mice, and find Muldoon's mansion, where they save Precious in the room of Muldoon's bratty daughter, Heather. Precious tells Frankie she is not interested in him, breaking his heart. Surly's recklessness causes Muldoon to shoot Buddy, who falls off a balcony to the street below, and into a coma. Meanwhile, Andie, Jimmy, Johnny, and Jamie find what seems to be a suitable park, but it turns out to be a golf course that almost gets them killed.

A doleful Surly returns with Precious and an unconscious Buddy, reuniting with the others in the ruined remains of the nut shop. While mourning for Buddy, Surly recounts the day he and Buddy met when they were kids when they saved each other; Buddy wakes up thanks to Precious giving him licks. Surly leads the animals to take back the park from Muldoon and his followers during the exclusive opening of Libertyland. Muldoon calls Gunther and his team over to capture them, and Surly is the only one left standing, so he goes to Mr. Feng and his army. While attacking Surly, the latter convinces Feng and the animals must work together regardless of whether they are from the city or a park; this causes Feng to spare him, and agree to help.

Surly and the mice free the animals, and round them up to take back Liberty Park. They manage to overwhelm the humans, destroy all the rides, and attract the attention of the police. Precious finds Frankie, and apologizes to him for what happened earlier while confessing she does care for him, causing Frankie to fall in love with her again. After the pair make up, Heather tries to get Gunther to tranquilize them. But due to the interference of Surly, Andie and Buddy, Gunther shoots Heather, knocking her out while he runs away. Muldoon tries to escape the chaos using a hot air balloon, but Surly and Buddy commandeer a roller coaster to catch up to him. Surly makes it on top of the balloon, and he and Muldoon engage in a long battle that ends with Surly causing Muldoon to fall on top of a bouncy house, and get attacked by Feng and his colony. Muldoon, Heather, and Gunther are arrested for their crimes, and Libertyland is shut down for good.

Several months later, the people help rebuild Liberty Park to its former glory. After the park is rebuilt, Feng and his colony decide to stay in the park, and focus on Tai Chi, Precious and Frankie have puppies, and Surly takes Andie on a ride with Precious to rob a nut cart.

In the post credits scene, Raccoon (the main villain of the first film) is still alive and is swimming back home to get revenge on Surly for defeating him with the sharks pursuing him.