There's an inevitability these days that any animated film released will invariably get a sequel or two, regardless of whether they're warranted or not.

In 2009 Sony Pictures Animation released Cloudly with a Chance of Meatballs, based on Judi Barrett's 1978 children's book of the same name. It was a surprise offering, full to the brim with wit and colour. Can this second serving be just as (ful)filling?

With the FLDSMDFR machine finally defeated, Flint (Bill Hader) starts to think of what to do next with his life. Before you can say Tiramisu, Flint is visited by a hologram of his science hero Chester V (Will Forte). He informs Flint, and all the residents of Swallow Falls, that they will all have to be evacuated so that his team can begin to return their town back to normal. In the meantime, they will all be pleasantly housed in San Franjose, California. Not only that, but Chester also invites Flint to join his team of scientists and work for him at Live Corp. This is like a dream come true for Flint and says yes in a flash.

After several months, Chester approaches Flint as he needs his help; it turns out that the clean-up job of Swallow Falls isn't exactly going to plan.

Although asked to go it alone, Flint decides to ask his friends to tag along too, for extra support. Which is just as well, as when they all return to their homeland, things are a long way from being back to normal, as the food has turned into living, breathing foodimals.

There was a zaniness to the original that just helped it stand out from the animated crowd. Thankfully, that's still intact here as the story is turned up a notch. New directors Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn have also managed to make it a kaleidoscope of colour; so many sparkly colours hit the screen making it a veritable cinematic swatch.

It's also a new team of writers involved, who do their best to emulate the sharp and funny script of the last, but they simply don't match its brilliance. Perhaps it's just that it feels like it's leaning towards a younger market more that makes it slightly disappointing, with a kind of Cartoon Network sheen about it.

It doesn't help with its Jurassic Park-with-food premise either, where its homage quickly turns to a lack of anything original to come up with.

In the grand scheme of things though, it's an appetising enough sequel that can certainly satisfy until something more substantial comes along.