I'd never heard about those 2001 references before. Interesting that someone in Lucasland saw fit to reference a movie that Lucas has previously criticised for dwelling too much on its own set design accomplishments rather than drive the story forward (I forget his exact quote, I think it's in Star Wars to Jedi: Making of a Saga or in Pollock's Skywalking). I often felt that the PT was masterbating over "look at what we can do" rather than driving the story forward ....