HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

The great news is this is easily as good as the original film. The heart, the humour and the heroism are all still firmly intact. It's fantastic to see that Dreamworks Animation have taken a great deal of time and care in crafting this sequel, and it's safe to say it's a huge success. All of the original cast and much of the original crew have returned for the sequel, ensuring the magic from the first film is captured once again.

One huge part of 'How To Train Your Dragon's' success was the beautiful sweeping scenery, particularly when rendered in 3D. 'Dragon 2' firmly upholds this legacy, and introduces us to a new icy landscape. But there's plenty more of the same stunning point-of-view shots, and it's easy to forget you're not soaring along on the back of a dragon yourself.

What I loved about the original film was its voice cast wasn't selected for its big names, but suitability for the character. The new actors - Cate Blanchett, Kit Harington and Djimon Hounsou - nicely complement the existing cast. Baruchel plays a slightly more grown-up Hiccup, still fantastically witty yet slightly more serious. Ferrera steps up as Astrid, and is nothing short of awesome in every scene. We get to see a softer side of Gerard Butler's Stoick in this film, which Butler handles nicely. The whole supporting gang (Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kristen Wiig et al) are still a hoot, an a solid support team to Hiccup and Astrid. Yet, as with the first film, the scene-stealer and true star is Toothless. The emotion - be it joy or heartbreak - exhibited on this dragon's face tells you everything you need to know. His dedication and fondness of Hiccup is what makes every element of this film successful and believable.

To be honest, I could sit there all day and watch these dragons flying along at an exhilarating pace. This is a beautiful, funny, touching film set to make you laugh and cry - whether you're a child or a kid at heart. This is the kind of animation which transcends its genre; the animation is only there to bring to life a world not physically possible. You rarely get sequels this good, so revel in the return of the loveable Hiccup and his spectacular dragon.