Ranking The First 30 Minutes Of EVERY Star Wars Movie From Worst To Best

Seen by many as the worst of the prequels, thanks largely to its over-reliance on sometimes quite jarring CGI and some absolutely dreadful dialogue, Episode II - Attack of the Clones' first half-hour actually isn't anywhere near as terrible as you likely remember.

Kicking things off with an almighty bang, the moment Padme Amidala is suddenly targeted by a bomb on Coruscant instantly gets you hooked as you wonder who is trying to take out the former Queen of Naboo.

And if you can ignore Ewan McGregor's silly little fake beard during his elevator re-introduction alongside Hayden Christensen's grown up Anakin Skywalker, the iconic duo's switch from bickering bodyguards to bounty hunter, erm, hunters during this opening 30-minutes is a thrill.

The actor's chemistry is at its best as they chase down a Zam Wesell who'd just tried once again to murder Amidala, this time in a properly intense sequence involving a pair of deadly insects. That enthralling sequence across Coruscant is one of the franchise's most underrated chunks of action, too, with this speeder chase masterfully showing off more off the city planet than ever before: from the magnificent skyline to its more corrupt underbelly.

There's no getting away from the poor way a lot of the heavily blue-screened backgrounds have aged - seen in Palpatine's office and within the Jedi Temple - and Lucas' dodgy dialogue strikes on a few occasions within that initial 30. 

But that awesome Coruscant chase and the first few trickles of John Williams' all-timer 'Across the Stars' theme reminds you that Episode II actually begins rather well.