Ten years after the Phantom Menace stalked the skies, the galaxy has undergone significant change, as have our heroes Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor), Padme Amidala (Portman) and Anakin Skywalker (Christensen).

Anakin has grown into the accomplished Jedi apprentice of Obi-Wan, who has himself made the transition from student to Jedi master.

As the elevated text scrolls across the screen, we learn that Count Dooku (Lee) - a Jedi who has left the order - has created a separatist movement which threatens to split the Republic in half.

Having survived two assassination attempts, Padme, now a senator of great importance, is entrusted into the care of Obi-Wan and Anakin.

And so begin two stories - one of pending love between Anakin and Padme, and the other of Obi-Wan's relentless hunt for Padme's would-be killer.

There are a number of references to people and events we're familiar with from the original movies, although prior knowledge is not a necessity.

We're introduced to the origins of the Clone Wars - mentioned by Obi-Wan back in 1977 - as well as a young Boba Fett and his father Jango (Once Were Warriors' Temuera Morrison), upon whom the army of clones is based.

Comic relief comes in the form of C-3PO, who literally loses his head when he switches body parts with a battle-droid then spouts lines like "awfully sorry about that" as he blasts his phaser gun at his friends.

Obi-Wan employs his mind tricks again, sending a 'deathstick' drug dealer packing with the words, "You want to go home and rethink your direction in life."

The reformed delinquent replies, "I want to go home and rethink my direction in life," before making his exit.

We even get an insight into the darker side of Anakin's character, as Obi-Wan tells his superiors "his abilities have made him arrogant", and Padme warns him: "Don't try to grow up too fast."

But Anakin's fate is already sealed and his gradual descent into the Dark Side - the beginnings of Darth Vader - is triggered when he rescues his mother from a group of sand people, only to have her die in his arms.

He retaliates by killing every one of them, even the women and children. Accompanied by John Williams powerful 'Fates' score, the slow build to Anakin's slaughter of the Sandpeople is one of the moments you buy a ticket to a Star Wars movie.

Unfortunately, it's a fleeting moment and a memorable one if only because there are so few others that rival it.

However, Star Wars fans have come to expect a good old-fashioned lightsabre battle and Attack Of The Clones will not disappoint.

In fact, it has several of the best 'sabre sequences ever seen - most notably a fight between Anakin, Obi-Wan and Count Dooku.

The battle looks lost until Master Yoda comes to the rescue and proves why he is the daddy of all Jedi.

The final half-hour hits you so hard, with unimaginable action, that you won't know what to do with yourself when you finally drag your eyes away from the screen.

Ewan McGregor himself has admitted that The Phantom Menace - which was panned by critics - was "flat".

With Clones, Lucas has returned to his original formula, once more conjuring the magic that made Star Wars a global phenomenon.

Using dazzling visual technology, the action sequences are bigger and bolder than anything previously seen.

Dark and serious, Clones is ultimately the Empire Strikes Back of this new trilogy, an inspired piece of cinema taking us to the most evil and mysterious corners of the Star Wars universe.

Dominic Bloch