FILM: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters 3D (PG)

Thor Freudenthal may have replaced Chris Columbus in the director’s chair but this second chapter in the series, based on the book by Rick Riordan, doesn’t stray too far from the template of the original, re-imagining Greek mythology through the eyes of gung-ho teenage protagonists.

All of the original cast return and effortlessly slip back into their roles including Lerman as the likeable hero and Brandon T Jackson as his wise-cracking sidekick. Some of the emotional heft of the first instalment, which benefited from deeper characterisation, are lacking and one set piece in a Chariot Of Damnation (aka a New York City yellow cab driven by three blind witches) has strong echoes of The Knight Bus from Harry Potter. However, youngsters who whooped and cheered at the monster-slaying back in 2010 will find plenty of reasons to do the same here.