Steven Spielberg praised a maligned George Lucas Star Wars film

Steven Spielberg is not only one of the greatest directors of all time, but he is also an avid film buff. The most curious thing is that he has a rather peculiar opinion about the “Star Wars” franchise.

In 2002, Spielberg said cinescape that, of all the “Star Wars” films made up to that point, “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” was “my second favorite right behind (‘The Empire Strikes Back’),” as the filmmaker said he. “It was great. The action scenes looked like George (Lucas) was inspired by James Cameron because they were as good as any of the action scenes in (‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’), and I think George did the same. best he could in directing with this one too.”

Now, who am I to argue with Spielberg about his personal opinion? Still, it’s curious that he praised “Attack of the Clones,” perhaps the maligned prequel trilogy. Still, you’re right. Despite its many flaws, “Attack of the Clones” was ahead of its time when it hit theaters in 2002. If nothing else, you have to admire how George Lucas managed to make a successful children’s film about democracy. collapses and a war is organized as a mere distraction so that a scheming politician can accumulate power.

In an interview with Roger EbertSpielberg went on to trumpet his old friend Lucas, referring to “Attack of the Clones” as his “most successful” film as a director. “I thought (the film) was operatic, George’s most accomplished film. But I don’t think he’ll ever go to computer-generated sets like he does,” Spielberg explained at the time. “I think that when you build a set in a three-dimensional world and the actors enter it, they feel stimulated. They get ideas (…) I am sad for the day when sets exist in cyberspace and not in reality.” life.”

The friendship of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas goes back many decades and is well documented. Of course, there’s their little box office rivalry, with Lucas and Spielberg staking a percentage of the box office success of the first “Star Wars” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Then there are the nods to Yoda and ET in “ET” and “The Phantom Menace,” and how, while Spielberg was making “Schindler’s List,” it was Lucas who helped finish “Jurassic Park” in post-production. There’s also the fact that they collaborated on the creation of the “Indiana Jones” franchise.

When it comes to “Star Wars” specifically, Lucas surprisingly turned down Steven Spielberg’s offer to direct a film from the original trilogy, but then changed his mind and asked both Spielberg and Ron Howard if either of them would direct “The Phantom Menace.” “. That time it was Lucas’s friends who agreed that he should continue directing his films because they found it too intimidating to follow the original trilogy. Still, given Spielberg’s ability to coax strong performances from children, he would have been an interesting choice for a film starring nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker.

Still, just because he hasn’t directed anything doesn’t mean Spielberg hasn’t been creatively involved with “Star Wars.” After all, it was Spielberg who introduced Lucas to John Williams so the latter could compose “A New Hope.” Then, during pre-production on “Revenge of the Sith,” Spielberg helped design the animations for some sequences, offering his version of Order 66, Mustafar’s duel, and Yoda’s fight with Darth Sidious. Apparently, it was even Spielberg’s idea to partially obstruct the deaths of several Jedi members during Order 66, such as when Ayla Secura’s disappearance is covered by a large plant. More recently, stunt coordinator Nick Gillard accredited Spielberg for contributing to Mustafar’s lightsaber duel, and even said that he came up with the “high ground” moment.

As for Spielberg’s comments about Lucas’s use of CG sets and his own hesitancy and disdain toward them, it appears the director changed his mind over the years, culminating in Spielberg using sets with high content. computer generated for “Ready Player One” and “The BFG”. “