…the animation is of a high quality and grows more appealing in the second half but this surfeit of action tends to drag on endlessly, with the result its 102-minute duration seems much, much longer than one would like. There are other sub-plots that only seem to prolong the agony.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 has few surprises, enough predictable fun and a running time (106 minutes) that respects the scantiness of the material.

Hats off to Dreamworks for offering some bold surprises in a respectable sequel filled with moments of humour and emotion among its ample noise and movement. There are some terrific details amid the 3D animation…

The animation is immersive with a flurry of colourful dragons flying through the screen but the best moments are still reserved for Toothless with retractable teeth, very much like the narrative! The Dragon has got more teeth as it soars again without any real hiccup!

How To Train Your Dragon 2 is proof of what you can do with the form, if the content has an emotional core that beats for what you feel so strongly about.

Take the kids, fly with the dragons. It’s one hell of a flight you just cannot miss this season.