The Force has arrived

'Attack of the Clones' debuts

Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen star in "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones."

(CNN) -- Three months after the lines started forming, seven months after the first trailer was released, nine months since the title was announced, three years after the last film debuted in theaters, and 24 years, 11 months, and 356 days -- give or take -- after "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" first officially appeared on movie screens, the time has come.

"Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" is finally out, and thousands of fans waited in line for midnight showings across the country to get the first glimpse.

And the early word? Well worth the wait.

"The last 45 minutes was worth more than the price of admission," Chad Bates, a 27-year-old Seattle, Washington, computer consultant, told The Associated Press. Bates saw a midnight showing at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles, California.

REVIEWS • Paul Clinton: 'Clones' a worthy successor  • Paul Tatara: 'Clones' better, but still uneven    CNN NewsPass VIDEO CNN's Bruce Burkhardt visits Skywalker Ranch, the home of director George Lucas and birthplace of the 'Star Wars' saga (May 7) Play video   MORE STORIES George Lucas: Mapping the mythology  CNN On the Scene with Anderson Cooper: Cloning 'Star Wars' magic  • The man who killed off Chewbacca  • 'Star Wars' to land at Cannes    EXTRA INFORMATION Gallery: The fans await the new 'Star Wars'  Gallery: 'Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones'  Know your 'Star Wars' characters? See our 'Star Wars' Character Guide  Want more about summer entertainment? Check out our in-depth 'Coming Attractions' guide section   RESOURCES • TIME.com: 'Star Wars': An advance look  • EW.com: All about 'Attack of the Clones'  • PEOPLE.COM: Where Are They Now?: The cast of 'Star Wars'  • InStyle.com: Party Hopper: 'Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones'  • TEEN PEOPLE.COM: The hottest stars under 25

"What the last one lacked in character, this one definitely made up for it," Steve Anderson, 32, told the AP.

The midnight showings were mostly full, even if lines weren't as long as they were for "Episode I" in 1999. Many fans purchased their tickets in advance over the Internet.

But theatergoers were enthusiastic, attending the premieres in full "Star Wars" regalia. Outside the Chinese Theater in Hollywood, fans staged mock lightsaber battles and dressed as "Star Wars" bounty hunter characters Jango and Boba Fett.

Critics offer mixed reviews

Critics weren't quite as kind.

The Chicago Sun-Times' Roger Ebert gave "Clones" two stars. "As someone who admired the freshness and energy of the earlier films, I was amazed, at the end of 'Episode II,' to realize that I had not heard one line of quotable, memorable dialogue," Ebert wrote.

The Washington Post's Stephen Hunter wrote that, after the rousing opening theme, "the movie doesn't go downhill or uphill; it doesn't go anywhere. It flatlines."

CNN.com's Paul Clinton gave the film a rave, but colleague Paul Tatara called "Clones" "a mixed bag." (See CNN.com's reviews.)

And The New York Times' A.O. Scott, taking a poke at Lucas' directorial abilities, said the new movie is "a chance for gifted actors to be handsomely paid for delivering the worst line-readings of their careers."

Ebert, a longtime partisan of film, also had a bone to pick with the movie's viewing quality. He saw the movie on both celluloid and digital, and though he said that the movie is "sharper, crisper, brighter and punchier on digital than on film," he adds that this is small consolation for the vast majority of people who will be seeing it on the older medium.

"Clones," which was "filmed" digitally, is projected that way on only a handful of its 5,800 screens. (See story.)

More mythology

Nevertheless, both critics and fans agree that "Attack of the Clones" is visually stunning, regardless of how it's seen. "Star Wars" creator George Lucas -- and his friends at Industrial Light and Magic, the special-effects company Lucas founded almost three decades ago -- have made sure of that.

The new film also builds on "Star Wars" mythology, a veritable cottage industry in its own right.

Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, is now grown up. The romance begins between him and Amidala, setting the stage for their future, as parents of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.

George Lucas isn't worried about competition with "Spider-Man." "It's not a contest," he said.

But their romance, according to Lucas, also sets the stage for Anakin's fall from grace -- and to the Dark Side.

"In this film, you begin to see that he has a fear of losing things, a fear of losing his mother, and as a result, he wants to begin to control things, he wants to become powerful, and these are not Jedi traits," Lucas told CNN. "And part of these are because he was starting to be trained so late in life, that he'd already formed these attachments. And for a Jedi, attachment is forbidden."

A merchandising juggernaut

The movie's box office potential remains stratospheric. "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace" grossed more than $430 million and made the all-time box office top 10. The four "Star Wars" films are all in the top 15 and have cumulatively grossed $1.5 billion (yes, with a "B") in North America, and a couple billion more more overseas.

Combined with its merchandising, its publicity, its sheer fan enthusiasm, "Star Wars" is simply the most valuable movie franchise of all time.

The stars, at least, promise that "Attack of the Clones" will be worth its buzz in dollars.

Samuel L. Jackson, who portrays Jedi Mace Windu, said the film "goes back to the original," according to the Associated Press.

And Natalie Portman, who plays Padme Amidala, says she enjoyed "Attack of the Clones" more than "Phantom Menace."

Natalie Portman as Padme Amidala, with the ubiquitous R2-D2. The actress has said that she enjoyed "Clones" more than "Phantom Menace."

"I get really bored in action movies, but I was at the edge of my seat with my mouth open," she told the AP.

If there's a question in Hollywood about the film's profit prospects, it's whether it will beat "Spider-Man," which broke "Phantom Menace's" 10-day box office record.

But Lucas isn't buying into the hype.

"It's not a contest," he told the AP. "It's an art form ... In the end, I think we'll do fine. And whether we beat 'Spider-Man' or not beat 'Spider-Man' is irrelevant."

"Star Wars" fans agree. They just want a good show, and that's what they say they're getting.

" 'Star Wars' is just a great escape," Michael Lapidus, who saw an early show in Miami, Florida, told the AP. "It's an incredibly well-done saga. I'm not a critic, I'm just here to have fun."