Amid the fast-moving chaos, it gets a little repetitive: there's so much volcanic action, so much fire and brimstone that all that heat might leave you cold.

What it lacks are the very elements that made the first movie such a surprise: wit and nerve.

The problem with a film that uses CGI as a substitute for good writing is that virtually every picture that comes along nowadays has impressive visual effects; this has leveled the playing field, to say the least.

Not great, not bad, just decent...