A LONG time ago in a galaxy far, far away George Lucas made three magnificent space epics, using some great actors, dodgy special effects and puppets.

Now, festooned with more cash than the average South American state's defence budget, roomfulls of special effects wizardry and the resources of every casting agent on the planet he is struggling to repeat that success.

The first prequel to the Star Wars trilogy, The Phantom Menace, was mostly panned for its wooden acting and over-reliance on special effects but the word on the street in Hollywood that Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (PG) was far better.

But the critics have again been lukewarm in their praise. Yes, the effects are stunning and there are some genuinely jaw-dropping moments they said. But the story is still too steeped in plodding political skullduggery and the dialogue too stilted.

The first three films were simple. There were goodies and there were baddies. Some of the goodies, like Han Solo, were a little bit bad at times but on the whole they were out to stop the baddies.

The problem with the prequels is you know how things turn out. We all know that Ewan McGregor's Obi Wan Kenobi will survive any danger to become Alec Guinness's Obi Wan by Episode IV. We also know Haydn Christiansen's Anakin Skywalker will eventually become the evil Darth Vader, but not before impregnating Natalie Portman's Queen Amidala with the babies that become Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker and Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia.

The tension has to come from an increasing threat to the galaxy from the sinister Siths, led by a shadowy leader who might be Ian McDiarmid's Chancellor Palpatine and the mythical Clone Wars, a conflict half referred to by Guinness in the original Star Wars and now brought to life spectacularly in Episode II's climax.

Many of the characters from the first episode, besides the principals, return. Samuel L Jackson as Jedi Mace Windu gets to wield his light sabre instead of sitting around looking inscrutable, while we also get to see furry gnome Yoda (now completely computer-generated but still voiced by Muppet maestro Frank Oz) doing some fighting.

The story itself is chiefly concerned with moving Christiansen along the path that takes him from Jedi golden boy to Darth Vader's evil black coal scuttle helmet.

Along the way he is sent to protect Portman and that is where they fall in love.

McGregor is also charged with protecting the queen, and seeing off Temeura Morrison's lethal bounty hunter Jango Fett (father to Empire Strikes Back bounty hunter Boba Fett).

Undoubtedly this film will be a huge hit and Lucas will care not what the critics say.