Grown Ups 2 tops Razzie nominations

Grown Ups 2 is a sequel to Sandler's 2010 film

Adam Sandler's hit film Grown Ups 2 leads the nominations at this year's Razzies, taking eight nominations.

The comedy, about four childhood friends reuniting, took $247m (£150m) at the global box office, but was dubbed "Groan Ups 2" by critics.

It is up for worst picture, sequel, ensemble and screenplay at the Razzies, which launched in 1980 as a spoof of the Oscars.

Box office flops The Lone Ranger and After Earth are also multiple nominees.

Sandler, who wrote and starred in Grown Ups 2, is in the running for worst male in a lead role.

He is no stranger to the Razzies, having taken the worst actor title last year for his role in man-child comedy That's My Boy.

A year before that, Jack and Jill - in which Sandler plays biologically-impossible identical male and female twins - made Razzie history with a record 10 awards.

The 47-year-old won both the worst actor and actress prizes.

Grown Ups 2 is a sequel to Sandler's 2010 film, which brought Sandler back together with US comedy show Saturday Night Live stars Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade.

The second instalment was one of the worst-reviewed films of 2013, with an average score of 19 out of a 100, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

"In the first five minutes, a deer walks into the star's bedroom and urinates on his face. It's all downhill from there," wrote Matt Patches in Time Out.

Branding the film "slothful" and "indulgent", Empire Magazine's Simon Crook criticised its "lumpen slapstick, casual sexism and a smug tone".

Supporting actors Taylor Lautner, Salma Hayek and director Dennis Dugan are also up for Golden Raspberry Awards.

The other films nominated for worst picture were Johnny Depp's uneven Wild West adventure The Lone Ranger; Will Smith's sci-fi misfire After Earth; Tyler Perry's holiday comedy A Madea Christmas and comedy anthology Movie 43, featuring the likes of Kate Winslet, Richard Gere, Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry.

After Earth, A Madea Christmas and Movie 43 have six nominations apiece.

The shortlist comes a day before the Oscar nominations, and the Razzies will similarly be handed out a night before the Oscars ceremony on 2 March.

Winners generally fail to show up - although Halle Berry and Sandra Bullock have collected their gold spray-painted prizes in person.