A BELATED sequel is set to bring a franchise back from two decades of slumber and the latest kids' animation arrives in what is a rather busy weekend at the multiplexes.

Here's the best and the worst of this weekend in Dorset cinemas.

New releases

Independence Day: Resurgence (Cert:12A, 120 mins)

With the benefit of this state-of-the-art trickery, eye-popping 3D and immersive sound, Independence Day: Resurgence should be a pulse-quickening thrill ride.

So it comes as a crushing disappointment that the second film lacks the roughly hewn excitement and charm of its predecessor.

Critically, the five scriptwriters have neglected to provide us with characters to care about before they unleash otherworldly hell upon the third rock from the sun.

Performances struggle to make an impact above the din of pyrotechnics and a rumbustious orchestral score.

Pivotal characters, who are clearly marked for death, serve their perfunctory purpose, blatantly teeing up a third instalment that will hopefully take another 20 years before it sees the flickering light of a cinema screen.

The Secret Life of Pets (Cert:U, 91 mins)

Illumination Entertainment finally makes its move away from the surefire safety net of the Despicable Me franchise with this wildly inventive tale that does for domesticated animals what the Toy Story movies did for child's playthings.

Directing duo Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney concoct a colourful, bombastic adventure that takes its witty premise and uses it to spin out a genuinely memorable story, packed with comedic moments that will have kids begging their parents to go straight back into the cinema to watch it again.

The voice performances, most notably from Louis CK and Kevin Hart, are reliably strong throughout and give a real fizz to the frequent one-liners and amusing setups.

CK holds the whole thing together as man's best friend Max, whilst Hart brings much-needed manic energy as a former magician's rabbit with a militant and murderous dislike for mankind.

It lacks the emotional depth of Pixar's canon and feels quite some distance away from the instant classic status of the Minions, but this proves that Illumination doesn't need its big-eyed old favourites to make a really fun children's adventure movie.

Still in cinemas

Me Before You (Cert:12A, 110 mins)

Jojo Moyes' distinctly British weepie has been dogged by controversy over its depiction of disability, but at its heart, it's a straightforward romance plot with a genuinely emotional gut punch in its third act.

Emilia Clarke is a sparky delight as the lead character, who takes a job as carer for Sam Claflin's quadriplegic former extreme sports nut. Their gradually blossoming romance is portrayed with wit and charm by the two young performers.

It doesn't make much of an attempt to tackle the wider issues around disability or assisted dying, but it succeeds as a simple, emotional tale of young love.