Table of Contents >> Show >> Hide
- How This Ranking Works (So We’re Not Just Vibes-Based)
- 5) No Strings Attached (2011)
- 4) Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- 3) Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
- 2) Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
- 1) Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Bonus: The “Mismatch Marathon” Experience (500-ish Words of Relatable Viewing Energy)
- Conclusion
Natalie Portman has one of those careers that makes film nerds argue at brunch (affectionately!): indie darlings, awards-bait
masterclasses, and thenboommassive franchises that print money like they found a cheat code.
And sometimes, the box office goes galactic while critics go… “Eh. Next?”
This list isn’t about Portman’s talent (she’s the real deal). It’s about that awkward moment when a movie’s
commercial success is doing victory laps while its critical reception is politely asking for an exit.
Think: “sold-out opening weekend” energy paired with “mixed or average reviews” vibes.
How This Ranking Works (So We’re Not Just Vibes-Based)
To keep things fair, we used a simple “critical-to-commercial” mismatch formula using widely referenced aggregation and box office
tracking numbers:
- Critical score: Rotten Tomatoes critics’ Tomatometer (percentage).
- Commercial success: Lifetime worldwide box office gross (USD).
-
Mismatch Index: Worldwide gross (in $ millions) ÷ Tomatometer score.
Higher number = more money earned per “critic approval point,” meaning a worse critical-to-commercial success ratio.
Important caveat: critics and audiences don’t grade on the same curve, and a movie can age better (or worse) over time.
This is a snapshot-style comparison designed for fun analysisnot a permanent judgment carved into a lightsaber.
5) No Strings Attached (2011)
Why it lands here
Compared to Portman’s monster blockbusters, No Strings Attached is smaller at the box officebut it still earned solid money
for a romantic comedy while critics stayed lukewarm. That makes it a “mismatch” on a more modest scale: commercially workable,
critically shruggy.
Quick stats
- Tomatometer: 47%
- Metascore: 50
- Worldwide gross: ~$149M
- Mismatch Index: ~3.17
What critics didn’t love
The core premisea modern, no-strings arrangement that collides with real feelingssounds like it should spark sharp comedy and
sharper insight. But many reviews felt the movie didn’t push far enough beyond the standard rom-com playbook, leaning on familiar
beats when it could’ve been more daring or emotionally precise.
Why audiences still showed up
Two reasons: star chemistry and approachable comfort-food storytelling. Portman brings intelligence and edge, and the movie is easy
to watchlight, quick, and broadly relatable. Sometimes the box office doesn’t need brilliance; it just needs a Friday night plan.
4) Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Why it lands here
The Dark World is a classic case of “Marvel momentum.” Critics were mixed, but the MCU machine was hummingand Portman’s
return as Jane Foster came packaged with spectacle, brand loyalty, and the promise of continuity in a shared universe people were
increasingly treating like an ongoing TV show… in theaters… with popcorn the size of a carry-on suitcase.
Quick stats
- Tomatometer: 67%
- Metascore: 54
- Worldwide gross: ~$645M
- Mismatch Index: ~9.62
What critics didn’t love
This is the entry often described (politely) as “fine” and (less politely) as “the one you forget until someone brings up the
villain.” The tone can feel like it’s switching lanes mid-scenedark mythology one minute, sitcom energy the nextwithout always
landing the emotional weight the story seems to aim for.
Why audiences still showed up
By 2013, Marvel had trained viewers to treat each movie like a must-see chapter. Even if reviews suggested a middling ride, the
promise of big action, familiar characters, and “you’ll want to know what happens next” was enough to turn tickets into a global
pile of receipts.
3) Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
Why it lands here
If you want a textbook example of “critics were mixed, fans still bought tickets,” here you go. Portman’s Padmé is central to the
movie’s emotional hingepolitical tension outside, romance and destiny insideand yet the film’s reception has long been defined by
the feeling that the big ideas didn’t always translate into compelling scene-to-scene storytelling.
Quick stats
- Tomatometer: 62%
- Metascore: 54
- Worldwide gross: ~$645M
- Mismatch Index: ~10.41
What critics didn’t love
Even supportive reviews often point to pacing issues and uneven character work. The movie wants to be many things at once:
political thriller, mystery, romance, war movie, and mythic prophecy chapter. That’s ambitiousbut it can also feel “busy,”
as if the film is checking boxes on the way to the next set piece.
Why audiences still showed up
Because it’s Star Wars. People came for world-building, lightsaber action, iconic characters, and the sense that you’re
witnessing “history” inside a franchise that generations treat like cultural folklore. Portman’s Padmé also gave the prequels a
poised centerregal, committed, and always playing the stakes like they matter (even when the plot gets a little… extra).
2) Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Why it lands here
Portman returning as Janenow stepping into a bigger heroic lanewas a genuine selling point. The movie also arrived with the
“Taika-style” comedic reputation from Ragnarok. Commercially? Huge. Critically? Mixed enough that the mismatch index jumps
fast, because the box office is doing cardio while reviews are doing yoga: calm, flexible, and occasionally stretching into
“this is too much silliness.”
Quick stats
- Tomatometer: 63%
- Metascore: 57
- Worldwide gross: ~$761M
- Mismatch Index: ~12.08
What critics didn’t love
The most common critique is tonal whiplash: heartfelt themes and darker story threads share space with nonstop jokes, which can make
the emotional beats feel rushed or undercut. When a movie wants to be both “goofy hangout comedy” and “big mythic tragedy,” it has
to nail the balanceor audiences start hearing the gears grind.
Why audiences still showed up
It’s a Marvel event with recognizable faces, bright visuals, and a built-in fanbase. Plus, Portman’s expanded role gave the film
a “you’ve gotta see this” hook that plays well in trailers, conversations, and group plans. Even viewers who weren’t in love with
the tone often agreed on one thing: Portman brings real gravity when the story lets her.
1) Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Why it’s the #1 mismatch
Here’s the heavyweight champion of “massive box office, mixed critical response.” Anticipation was astronomical, and the
commercial outcome reflected it: people didn’t just show upthey showed up like it was a holiday. Critics, meanwhile, were split.
The result is the worst critical-to-commercial success ratio in this set by a wide margin.
Quick stats
- Tomatometer: 54%
- Metascore: 51
- Worldwide gross: ~$1.05B
- Mismatch Index: ~19.38
What critics didn’t love
Even many “middle-of-the-road” reviews acknowledged the movie’s visual ambition while questioning the storytelling priorities:
heavy exposition, thinly drawn characters, and a sense that the movie is more prologue than payoff. It’s a film with huge pieces on
the board, but critics often wanted more emotional clarity and less narrative detouring.
Why audiences still showed up
Because it was the return of Star Warsand Portman’s presence as Padmé felt like a major “new era” signal: young, poised,
and instantly iconic in design and posture. Add famous music cues, big action sequences, and the cultural moment of seeing that
opening crawl in a theater again, and you’ve got a recipe for worldwide domination regardless of whether critics were fully on board.
Bonus: The “Mismatch Marathon” Experience (500-ish Words of Relatable Viewing Energy)
If you ever want to feel the critical-to-commercial gap in your bones, try watching these five movies over a couple of weeks
like you’re doing a very specific, slightly chaotic film studies assignment: “Natalie Portman vs. The Franchise Industrial Complex.”
It’s a ride. A fun ride! But also the kind of ride where you occasionally look at your watch and whisper, “We’re still in the second act?”
Start with The Phantom Menace and you’ll understand why the box office exploded: the world is lush, the production is huge,
and the entire movie carries the energy of a cultural event. Even if you’re not deeply invested in every political detail, there’s a
“look at that!” factor that keeps your eyes busy. And Portman, even early in her career, has that calm focus that makes the stakes
feel reallike she’s in a different (better) movie inside the movie, which is secretly a compliment. When critics point to storytelling
issues, the experience can be: amazed by the scale, slightly detached from the emotion.
Then Attack of the Clones hits you with a different kind of mismatch: it has the bones of an exciting galaxy-spanning mystery,
but it also asks you to spend a lot of time in scenes that don’t always sparkle. Some viewers love the grand operatic intent; others
feel the pacing sag. Portman’s Padmé remains a steady anchorespecially when the movie’s tone shifts from political tension to romance
to action like it’s switching radio stations mid-song. Commercially, the brand carries it. Critically, the seams show.
The two Thor movies are like a case study in “audiences love familiarity.” The Dark World often feels like Marvel in
autopilot mode: you can sense the studio formula, and you may find yourself remembering individual moments rather than a strong
overall shape. Still, it’s glossy, fast enough, and part of a bigger storyso tickets sell. Love and Thunder, meanwhile,
can feel like a party where the playlist is great but someone keeps changing the music right when you’re getting into it.
It’s colorful, loud, and sometimes genuinely heartfeltthen it immediately makes a joke as if it got nervous about sincerity.
Portman’s expanded role is a major highlight because she can actually carry emotional weight without slowing the movie down.
Finally, No Strings Attached is the “smaller” mismatch, but it’s instructive: it shows how a movie can be profitable and
popular enough even when critics aren’t thrilled, simply by being accessible and star-driven. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a
dependable takeout order. You may not call it your favorite meal, but you’ll eat it, you’ll be fine, and you’ll probably quote one
funny line afterward.
The real takeaway from this marathon isn’t “critics are right” or “audiences are right.” It’s that Portman’s career is sturdy enough
to sit inside wildly different machinesindie drama engines, rom-com engines, franchise enginesand still come out looking like a
professional who understood the assignment, even when the assignment was: “Make this scene emotionally believable while the plot
teleports to another planet.”
Conclusion
These five films highlight a weirdly fascinating truth about modern movies: sometimes the audience buys tickets for the moment,
the brand, or the spectaclewhile critics grade the craft, coherence, and character work with stricter standards.
Natalie Portman’s “worst ratios” aren’t really about her performance; they’re about how blockbusters (and even studio comedies)
can succeed financially even when reviews land in the mixed zone.
