Over the years, the Star Wars prequels have grown more liked and appreciated than they were when they were released.
There's been a prequel-era renaissance of late, with the return of Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor to the franchise, and The Clone Wars' greatest young Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, making her live-action debut.
But not long ago, when Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones was released, the movie was met with heavy criticism for its dependence on CGI, green screens, blue screens, and other fancy filmmaking techniques pioneered by George Lucas. Hayden Christensen, who stepped into young Jake Lloyd's shoes as the teenaged Anakin Skywalker, was harshly criticized for his take on the reckless and emotional young Jedi, who would one day become Darth Vader.
Years later, opinions have shifted, and fans who loved the movie have grown up and have more of a voice. As something of a surprise, one of Episode II's unlikely defenders turns out to be George Lucas' best friend, Steven Spielberg.
Via SlashFilm, Spielberg told Cinescape that Attack of the Clones is his favorite Star Wars movie, right behind The Empire Strikes Back. Steven Spielberg is full of praise for Attack of the Clones, comparing its thrilling action sequences to James Cameron's iconic Terminator 2: Judgment Day. What's more, Spielberg thinks that Attack of the Clones is George Lucas's crowning achievement as a director.
Attack of the Clones has some pivotal action scenes, including Obi-Wan Kenobi's run-in with Jango Fett on Kamino, Count Dooku's faceoff with Anakin and Obi-Wan, and the First Battle of Geonosis, which features multiple Jedi, clankers, and CGI creatures all facing off in an arena.
While Spielberg isn't a fan of Lucas' heavy reliance on computer-generated sets, he reiterates that Attack of the Clones is Lucas' "most accomplished" film as a director and calls it "operatic." Their friendship spans many decades, with the two legendary filmmakers frequently exchanging suggestions and collaborating on projects, including Star Wars. As two cinematic legends who hold each other's work in high esteem, Spielberg's perspective on Lucas's standout Star Wars achievement is uniquely valuable
While Spielberg never directed a Star Wars film despite being offered the chance by Lucas, he provided input to Lucas during the making of Revenge of the Sith. Spielberg offered his ideas on the movie's climax, including the execution of Order 66 scenes, the Mustafar Duel, and Palpatine and Yoda's duel in the Senate. Nick Gillard acknowledged Spielberg's idea for "The High Ground" scene was approved by Lucas, although Gillard and others weren't fans of it.
Even though George Lucas' work on the Star Wars prequel was met with harsh criticism, it's nice to know that Steven Spielberg, who's always been a darling of the critics, finds merit in it.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones is streaming on Disney+.