ONE OF the biggest movie releases of the year opens in Bath tomorrow for what will be amongst the most eagerly awaited productions in motion picture history.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is the latest instalment of the multibillion-dollar Star Wars saga, the science-fiction series that began in 1977 and was last seen in 1999 with Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Thousands of movie-goers are expected to flock to the two cinemas showing the film, Robins and ABC, on the day of release.

A massive wave of expectation is awaiting the film, starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Lee, after many left The Phantom Menace feeling let down by the wooden acting and baffling plot.

Few have seen the movie as, unlike the other Star Wars instalments, Attack of the Clones has not been released in America prior to its British premiere.

Rachel Long, general manager at the ABC cinema on Westgate Street, in Bath, said: "We have received a lot of phone calls from people about the film. We don't take advance bookings. I think it is good that people know they stand a chance of seeing the film by just turning up.

"We are expecting it to be a very popular film. We're expecting queues to go right round the block."

Abigail Neil, supervising manager at Robins cinema said: "People are desperate to find out what happens. We have received enquiries about the film daily."

To celebrate the release of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, the Bath Star has five superb Star Wars T-shirts to give away. For a chance of owning one of the shirts, simply answer the following question:

What was the name of the 1999 Star Wars movie? a) The Phantom Danger b) The Phantom Menace

or c) The Phantom Raspberry Blower?

Send your answer on a postcard with address and daytime telephone number to Star Wars competition, Bath Star, Unit 12, Brassmill Enterprise Centre, Brassmill Lane, Bath, BA1 3JN. Usual Newsquest rules apply.

What's the film about? This is the fifth Star Wars movie, set approximately 20 years before the original 1977 sci-fi classic. It is the beginning of the end for the peaceful galactic republic as a civil war brews with millions of cloned soldiers fighting the battle between good and evil. Central to the story is Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), the young Jedi (Jedi knights are the goodies) who is getting closer every day to turning into the legendary villain Darth Vader.

Natalie Portman is the love interest, Christopher Lee the baddie and Ewan McGregor is Anakin's mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Is it any good? Compared with Phantom Menace and the last movie of the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi, Episode II is very good indeed.

Christensen, despite being vilified elsewhere in the press for his puppy-dog looks, puts in an excellent performance as the complex Anakin Skywalker and his romance with the radiant Portman adds a genuine romantic touch to the film.

Of course it's the action that fans are after and Episode II does not disappoint. From the climatic battles that see off even Lord of the Rings for scale to the sight of the pint-sized Jedi, Yoda, wielding a light sabre, all the stops have been pulled out to make the film a thrilling experience.

However, the dialogue is uniformly dull and some performances seem more appropriate for B-grade soap Sunset Beach than the biggest movie of the year.

The effects are stunning, but it's the humour, rather than any technical know-how, that makes the film most believable. Droids C-3PO and R2D2 finally get to roll out their Waiting for Godot-esque double act, which adds a nice touch of farce to the otherwise ominous feeling of the film.

I have never seen a Star Wars film. Will I enjoy it? Make sure you take a few mental notes into the film as much of it, especially Anakin's tentative flirtation with the forces of evil, might not make sense when removed from the context of the other movies. Children should be able to pick up enough dialogue between the fight scenes but parents should remember that this film is rated PG and some elements, including three nasty decapitations, may be a bit too much for the under eights.

Verdict? By far the most watchable of the last three Star Wars films, Episode II lacks the drama and intrigue of the classic Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. Not quite the huge spectacle it sets out to be, it is nevertheless a solid addition to the Star Wars saga.