Star Wars takes £9m in the UK

The hated Jar Jar Binks remains

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones has topped the UK box office chart in its first weekend.

George Lucas's sci-fi saga pushed aside Nick Hornby-adaptation About A Boy and took more than £9m, according to figures from Screen International.

About A Boy loses the top spot

The fifth Star Wars instalment has received mixed reviews but has enraptured hardcore fanatics and ordinary cinemagoers alike.

It introduces the romance between the future Darth Vader (played by Hayden Christensen) and Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), as well as featuring innovative special effects.

Hugh Grant vehicle About A Boy dropped to number two after three weeks at the top of the charts.

The story of an idle, aimless playboy who finds meaning in his life took only £1m between 17 to 19 May.

Continued success

Dropping to number three from two was Panic Room in which Jodie Foster plays a single mother forced to hide with her daughter in a hidden room as intruders break into her house.

British football comedy Bend it like Beckham continued its success, holding steady at number four while action movie Dog Soldiers slipped to fifth from third.

Cartoon Ice Age moved up a slot to sixth while Showtime swapped fifth place for seventh.

The Scorpion King fell to eighth from sixth while I am Sam rose one slot to number nine.

Rounding off the top ten was road rage thriller Roadkill which fell two places.