Attack of the Clones: Facts, Reception, and Fan Questions Answered

Box office gross: $649 million worldwide ·
Release year: 2002 ·
Rotten Tomatoes score: 62% ·
Runtime: 142 minutes ·
Budget: $115 million

The numbers behind the debate reveal a film that succeeded financially but divided critics.

Did Attack of the Clones flop?

Financially, no. Attack of the Clones earned $649.4 million worldwide on a $115 million budget, according to official Star Wars site. That made it the third-highest-grossing film of 2002, behind The Two Towers and Spider-Man.

Its opening weekend was strong: $116.3 million in its first four days, as reported by Wikipedia’s box office data. That made it the second-fastest film to cross $100 million, behind only Spider-Man.

Box office performance

• Worldwide gross: $649,398,328 (Wikipedia’s box office data)
• North America: $310,676,740 (IMDb’s box office breakdown)
• International: $338,721,588 (Wikipedia’s box office data)

Critical reception vs financial success

Critics were less impressed. The film’s review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer is 62%, and its Metacritic’s review compilation score is 54 — both indicating mixed reviews. A commercial success, but not a critical one.

Why is Attack of the Clones so hated?

Fan criticism focuses on several areas. The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus notes it “benefits from thrilling action” but is “undercut by ponderous plot points and underdeveloped characters.”

Common criticisms

• Wooden dialogue and a stiff romance between Anakin and Padmé
• Heavy reliance on CGI, which some felt aged poorly
• Pacing issues, especially in the political scenes

An IGN’s contemporary review roundtable described the film as having “weak pacing, poor dialogue, and characters who do not seem to know one another.” Empire magazine’s review noted it “skews older than The Phantom Menace because of its frequent decapitations and murky tone.”

Dialogue and acting

Many point to the romance scenes between Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Padmé (Natalie Portman) as the film’s weakest element. The script reportedly gave the actors clunky lines, and the chemistry was widely criticized.

CGI and special effects

At the time, the film’s extensive use of digital sets and characters was groundbreaking. But later assessments have noted that some CGI effects do not hold up as well as the practical effects of the original trilogy.

How old was Natalie Portman while filming Attack of the Clones?

Natalie Portman was born on June 9, 1981. Filming for Attack of the Clones took place from 2000 to 2001, meaning she was roughly 20 years old during production. The film was released in 2002 when she was 20–21.

Her age at the time is often noted in discussions about the film’s romance scenes, as she played a queen and senator who falls in love with a younger Anakin Skywalker.

Why is Star Wars 4 5 6 1 2 3?

This numbering reflects the difference between release order and chronological order. The original trilogy (Episodes IV, V, VI) was released from 1977 to 1983. The prequel trilogy (Episodes I, II, III) came later, from 1999 to 2005.

Release order vs chronological order

• Release order: 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9
• Chronological order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

George Lucas’s intention

Lucas has said he envisioned the story as a six-part saga, with the prequels telling the beginning of the story. He recommended watching in chronological order, but many fans prefer release order to avoid spoilers and preserve the original trilogy’s reveals.

What line did Mark Hamill refuse to say?

During Return of the Jedi (1983), Mark Hamill reportedly refused to deliver the line “I love you too” in response to Princess Leia’s confession. Hamill felt it was out of character for Luke Skywalker at that moment. The line was changed to “I know,” which became one of the most iconic moments in the series.

This story is often cited as an example of an actor’s instinct improving a scene. The change reportedly came from director Richard Marquand and was approved by Lucas.

Specifications: Attack of the Clones

Five key specs, one pattern: the film was a big-budget production with a massive visual effects pipeline but a relatively short runtime for a Star Wars movie.

Pros and Cons of Attack of the Clones

Timeline: Attack of the Clones in the Star Wars Saga

• 1999: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace released (Wikipedia)
• 2000–2001: Filming of Attack of the Clones (Wikipedia’s production notes)
• May 16, 2002: Attack of the Clones released in theaters (Metacritic release data)
• 2005: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith concludes prequel trilogy (Wikipedia)
• 2015: Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens begins sequel trilogy (Wikipedia)

Clarity: What we know and what remains uncertain

Confirmed facts

• Attack of the Clones grossed over $649 million worldwide. (official Star Wars site)
• Its Rotten Tomatoes score is 62% and Metacritic score is 54. (review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes / Metacritic’s review compilation)
• It was released on May 16, 2002. (Metacritic’s review compilation)

What’s unclear

• Whether fan hatred has decreased over time due to sequel trilogy backlash.
• If George Lucas privately regrets selling Star Wars to Disney.
• The exact number of actors who turned down the role of Luke Skywalker.
• Whether Mark Hamill truly refused the line “I love you too” on his own initiative.
• Natalie Portman’s exact age during principal photography (19 or 20).

The pattern here is that concrete financial and release data are solid, but the deeper narrative motivations and behind-the-scenes decisions remain open to interpretation.

Quotes about Attack of the Clones

“Benefits from thrilling action but is undercut by ponderous plot points and underdeveloped characters.”

— Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus (review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes)

“Clones skews older than The Phantom Menace because of its frequent decapitations and murky tone.”

— Empire magazine (Empire magazine’s review)

For fans trying to decide whether to revisit Attack of the Clones, the choice is clear: come for the action and the world-building, but be prepared for the flaws. The film’s legacy is still being written, and its polarizing nature ensures it will remain a topic of conversation for years to come.

Frequently asked questions