It's crazy how geniuses of a craft often see things completely differently from us mortals — and how, sometimes, it totally shocks us. That's the case with Steven Spielberg, an undeniable genius of filmmaking, and Star Wars. As it turns out, one of his favorite movies by his pal George Lucas is actually Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. Lucas is himself another undeniable genius of filmmaking, but this movie is actually regarded as among the worst-rated entries in the saga. So perhaps Spielberg sees something we don't?
Steven Spielberg Thinks ‘Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones’ Is George Lucas’ Best Directing
Very rarely does someone place Attack of the Clones among their favorite Star Wars movies, so someone like Spielberg saying it's the second-best movie of the saga is unexpected. He is perhaps the greatest filmmaker of the 20th century. Can't he see the many flaws in this picture? But being the undeniable genius he is, he definitely sees things we can't. Speaking to Cinescape back in 2002, Spielberg praised Attack of the Clones as one of his favorite Star Wars movies, just behind Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back. According to Spielberg, Lucas did some of his best directing in Episode II, and the action scenes look like he was inspired by James Cameron and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, saying that they are "as good as any of the action scenes in T2."
This wasn't a one-time thing, though. In 2012, Roger Ebertinterviewed Spielberg for the ten-year anniversary of Minority Report, and the director brought up Attack of the Clones again: "I thought it was operatic, George’s most accomplished movie." Later, when talking about real sets versus computer-generated ones. He says that he doesn't think he'll "ever go to computer-generated sets like he does."
‘Episode II’ Is Technically Innovative and Bold in Its Story, so Spielberg Isn’t Wrong
Focusing on what Spielberg mentions as Attack of the Clones' best qualities, it really can be seen as an innovative Star Wars story up to that point. The action sequences have a grittier, almost industrial feel to them, including chase sequences, action scenes that forego the use of lightsabers, and unique fights: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) faces Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) in the rain, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) wields two lightsabers against Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), and even Yoda (Frank Oz) gets to show his dueling skills.
It could be argued that George Lucas isn't a great screenwriter, but he is an incredible worldbuilder, and this becomes evident in Attack of the Clones. We experienced Star Wars as a proper political thriller for the first time then, without the numbness of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace's "taxation of trade routes" plot, for example. Obi-Wan unveils an actual conspiracy that has ramifications way beyond Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, too, exploring both sides of the upcoming Clone Wars.
George Lucas changed the industry with a bold distribution strategy.
Anakin and Padmé Amidala's (Natalie Portman) romantic plot is indeed problematic on many levels, especially the quirky dialogue, and George Lucas knows it. But the concepts behind it are the "operatic" qualities that Spielberg mentions, with Christensen's over-the-top acting when Anakin fails to rescue his mother on Tatooine and the iconic kiss as he and Padmé are brought to the arena on Geonosis. It's worth noting that John Williams' score certainly helps a lot, as "Across the Stars" is one of Star Wars' best themes.
While it's hard to contradict someone like Steven Spielberg, it's also unlikely that thousands of Star Wars fans and moviegoers are wrong when they put Attack of the Clones among the worst movies in the saga. But Spielberg's point of view is eye-opening, however, in the sense that he surely sees things we can't, so it's important to keep an open mind. Despite its many, many flaws, Attack of the Clones does have its merits, too, after all.
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
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Ten years after initially meeting, Anakin Skywalker shares a forbidden romance with Padmé Amidala, while Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers a secret clone army crafted for the Jedi.
Image by Federico Napoli
English (US) ·