With the game itself fading from the zeitgeist at an ever-increasing rate, this somewhat unexpected sequel to 2016’s first movie sees the Angry Birds launch their bid for cultural immortality by trying to grow beyond its limited roots.

As Red and Leonard the pig trade blows in an ongoing prank war, they are unaware of a third island which regards their respective paradises with envious eyes. Forced to join forces, the frenemies must learn to work together if they are to save everyone from a frosty new threat.

Freed from the constraints of having to adhere to the principles of the game it’s based on, “The Angry Birds Movie 2” leans more into a generic kind of animated adventure by feathering its nest with more character-driven hijinks than before. But the thing is, despite the barely two-dimensional characters on offer, it kind of works.

Wittier than its predecessor, it feels refreshingly less like a commercial for the game and more like its own weird creation. It still has trouble sustaining a full-length plot but there’s enough fun and inventiveness to suggest that the path to survival for this fledgeling franchise may be in animated shorts rather than further feature-length flights.

6/10