No mystery: it’s a samey sequel

flick get trundled out once again.

The driving force is the touching, playful bond between Gnomeo and Juliet – McAvoy and Blunt proving to be one of the finest animated couples ever seen.

There’s a distinct lack of true peril and tension as the plot is arguably even more kid-friendly than its predecessor’s.

Laughs are plentiful but it’s more titters and giggles than insides-bothering cackles you’ll be letting loose; pleasingly, though, the humour remains extremely British and makes very few concessions to American audiences.

Depp does a decent job as Sherlock, although the voice evokes memories of his horrifying turn in dud Mortdecai and he’s a long way off the finest Holmes – sorry, Gnomes – committed to screen.

Stevenson and his animation team deserve credit for showcasing Gnomes’ impressive deductive powers through black-and-white, hand-drawn sketches that stand out from the day-glow colour scheme found throughout the rest of the movie.

No matter how good, bad or indifferent this follow-up is – and it’s all three at various points – the impressive voice cast, which includes everyone from Michael Caine and Maggie Smith to Mary J. Blige and Ozzy Osbourne, and infectious Elton John musical numbers keep things ticking along quite nicely.

And while it’s no Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather Part II or Dark Knight upgrade, Sherlock Gnomes is every bit as good as its predecessor – and works well as a companion piece.