Episode I was seen by many as a disappointment

Episode II will hit cinemas in many countries after a huge promotional drive on the morning of Thursday 16 May.

McGregor told BBC News the new film was "much more reminiscent of Empire Strikes Back".

He explained why he thought the most recent Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace, was not as well-received as had been hoped.

"We were setting up a lot of stuff in Episode I so it was flatter than this one," he said.

The Original Star Wars was released in 1977

But he conceded he still had strong reservations over the choice of title for Episode II.

"I heard it was called Attack of the Clones when I was doing a press line in the states and they'd forgotten to tell me that they were going to call it that," he said.

Fanatics queuing

"Someone went 'what do you think of attack of the clones?' And I said 'I don't know - what is that?'

"They thought I was joking, told me it was the title for Episode II and I thought 'it's terrible'."

Some fans will have been queuing for four months

Hundreds of fanatics are already queuing outside cinemas in Seattle, Los Angeles and Utah.

After the $920m (�628m) success of the Phantom Menace, mastermind George Lucas will be hoping for a repeat in the film's financial success, as well as a warmer critical reception.

In the past, McGregor has said he found filming for meticulous director George Lucas "boring", adding that Episode II had "much more humour" and "much more colour".

Even Lucas recently admitted the first Star Wars prequel was a disappointment.

In a discussion of the huge marketing operation that accompanied the film, the director's company Lucasfilm said: "The last movie did not live up to expectations."