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Christopher Nolan defends 'Dark Knight Rises' fans angry over bad reviews

Also: writer/director weighs in on Rush Limbaugh's Bane comments

By Reetu Rupal (AP)Wednesday, Jul 18, 2012 11:16 PM

Christopher Nolan arrives at the world premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises" in New York City.

Credit: AP Photo/Starpix, Dave Allocca

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LONDON (AP) — Director Christopher Nolan is defending fans irate over negative reviews of "The Dark Knight Rises."

While the final piece of Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy has gotten mostly positive reviews, a few critics, including The Associated Press' Christy Lemire, gave it a negative review. Fan response to those critics became so venomous on the review aggregator site RottenTomatoes.com that it suspended user comments late Monday.

Appearing at Wednesday's London premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises," Nolan was quick to defend fans' heated response to the reviews.

"I think the fans are very passionate about these characters the way a lot of people are very passionate. Batman's been around for over 70 years and there's a reason for that. He has a huge appeal, so I think you know people certainly respond to the character," he said.

Nolan also weighed in on conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh's contention that the villain in the movie, Bane, was an attempt to make a disparaging link to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's former company Bain Capital.

"I'm not sure how to address something that bizarre, to be honest. I really don't have an answer for it, it's a very peculiar comment to make," he said.

Morgan Freeman, who plays Lucius Fox, called the contention "ridiculous."

"Chris wrote a fictional story that didn't have any political thoughts in mind, so it's like art or something you know, it's all in the mind of the beholder," Freeman said.

Bane has been a character in the Batman comic series for many years.

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Albert Pickles

This headline is pretty misleading. All Nolan said is that Batman fans are passionate. Not "it is okay that they are acting the way they are."
July 18, 2012 at 11:29PM EST Reply to Comment
- ceggertsen He was responding to a (presumably) direct question about the Rotten Tomatoes situation. You can say the headline is misleading, but he certainly downplays the fans' comments by saying they're "passionate" rather than "out of line," "crazy," etc. Which, in a way, is a defense. If his comments were taken out of context by the reporter who conducted the AP interview that's on them; we constructed the headline to reflect the content of the article.
  July 18, 2012 at 11:58PM EST
- thatguy I would imagine Nolan didn't/doesn't know the lengths that those irate fans went to. Remember, people, Nolan supposedly doesn't use the internet.
  July 19, 2012 at 2:18AM EST
Steve

Lemire lost all credibility by ratin Battleship ahead of TDKR by saying "Battleship knows it's a big dumb movie." They have the same budget. So what (smart) fans obviously peceive is that if a filmmaker attempts to make a high mined blockbuster, bt doesn't live up to her epectations, it's not as worthy as a big, stupid movie that cost just as much to make. Of course fans are pissed
July 19, 2012 at 2:14AM EST Reply to Comment
- Mr Rekshun Mein Gott, you're right! Let's send her a death threat!
  July 19, 2012 at 2:50AM EST
- arrow They haven't seen the film. You can't be angry that someone doesn't like a film you haven't seen.
  July 19, 2012 at 9:27AM EST
- Steve My problem is not with her review, but her logic. If a $200M is idiotic, but "knows" its idiotic, it scores higher than an ambitious, thoughtful movie because she "expected more." That's degrading to all the people who worked on the project. What if every reviewer scored that way?
  
  As for death threats, well, comments are the place of the stupid, and if that was happening, its ridiculous and they were right to shut it down. Just saying that the fans have a good reason to be pissed. ANd to Arrow's point, you sure as hell can compare Battleship and TDKR without having seen either with logic lke that.
  July 19, 2012 at 10:57AM EST
- David If comments are the place of the stupid, why are we commenting? Also, if we're stupid, are we qualified enough to make judgement calls on the quality of film or on the credibility of reviewers?
  August 14, 2012 at 2:26PM EST
Bill

I think it's pretty silly that people who mostly haven't seen the film are passionately denouncing the opinions of people who have. Say what you want once you've seen it, but keep quiet until then.
July 19, 2012 at 6:23AM EST Reply to Comment
- Dave I It's crazy. For one, none of us have seen it. We all WANT it to be great, but it is absurd to say others are wrong about a movie they have not watched.
  
  Second, it's telling that people think they can act that way to others over a movie. Even if you HAVE seen it and disagree, fine. Express your disagreement. Throw in a little hyperbole. But to send threats to other people? Over a difference of opinion? It's bad enough when people do this over political/religious/morality differences, and it is not right then either. But over a bloody movie?!!! What, are we all children?
  
  -Cheers
  July 19, 2012 at 10:26AM EST
- ceggertsen the anonymity of the internet tends to bring out the worst in people who hate themselves.
  July 19, 2012 at 6:07PM EST
Dave I

**Nolan also weighed in on conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh's contention that the villain in the movie, Bane, was an attempt to make a disparaging link to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's former company Bain Capital.**

And people still listen to Rush? Crazy how they try to tie characters of FICTION to political agendas. It's almost like they don't realize these characters have existed for years in other media and the director is just adapting them from other stories of fiction. Although this seems at least slightly less ludicrous than when people said it about the Lorax. Still, it's amazing somebody as well known as Rush can say this sort of crazy talk and people do not call him on it. I mean, really. A movie using a comic book character is making a political statement just because it happens to be a homopnone (yet entirely unrelated and obviously spelled differently) of a presidential candidate, even though there is no connection and the character far predates anything with Romney? Nobody questions that it might just be a character from a story? They just keep eating that stuff up.

This is the sort of thing a paranoid schizophrenic tea leaf reader would come up with. It's a movie based on a comic book character. It's not going to effect who I vote for in the elections. Stick to politics and things that actually matter and stop looking for conspiracy theories in make believe movies!

-Cheers
July 19, 2012 at 10:22AM EST Reply to Comment
- phil Yeah, the only problem is, Rush didn't make that contention... he was commenting on a story about Democratic strategists discussing it.
  
  Unfortunately, that was not pointed out to Mr Nolan or Mr Freeman, and was not noted in this article. Makes it less sensational, I presume.
  July 19, 2012 at 10:30PM EST
The Bandsaw Vigilante

Christy Lemire wrote a glowing review of BATTLESHIP. That tells you pretty much all you need to know about her critical street-cred, right there.
July 19, 2012 at 11:18AM EST Reply to Comment
- Dave I Well, in her defense (can't believe I'm saying that), just looking at her Battleship review, it WAS done in relation to it as self-aware idiotic fun.
  
  Her review for Batman? I can see some of those complaints bothering some people. Overall, opinion of the movie is high. However, it's coming on the heels of one of the most hyped movies, and most successful movies in almost every possible sense of the word in recent history, perhaps ever, almost certainly in the comic book world. The movie is LONG. Me, I love it. I like when movies take a lot of time to build a slow burn, and I really love Christopher Nolan as a filmmaker, so this is probably right up my alley. That said, some are going to find it bloated. It is almost certain to find some detractors after how high TDK ended up soaring. As for the rest of her claims, including it being too analytical and whatnot, we'll see.
  
  Either way, sending death threats or any sort of threat because a film critic doesn't like a movie you like (or, as mentioned, one you have yet to see) is stupid and immature.
  
  -Cheers
  July 19, 2012 at 2:58PM EST
- James Dave your taste sound in line with mine as I also love Nolan films. Can't wait for tonight.
  We all need to step back and let people have their own opinion. Heck most of the critics who did not like the film aren't fans of Nolan in general. If Rex Reed hates it there is a very good chance I'm in for a great night.
  July 19, 2012 at 8:22PM EST
Bill Graham

Do you really think Nolan will come out and say "those fans are morons and need to stop"? He went the PC way and just simply deflected the question. He doesn't directly condone nor condemn the actions.
July 19, 2012 at 11:06PM EST Reply to Comment
GEORGE

BANE character goes back YEARS AND YEARS of Batman go to IMDB.COM and click on the character name when you go to the Batman movie

July 20, 2012 at 10:02AM EST Reply to Comment
GEORGE

Write a comment...# The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Played by Tom Hardy
... aka "T.D.K.R." - International (English title) (short title)
... aka "The Dark Knight Rises: The IMAX Experience" - USA (IMAX version)
# "Young Justice"
... aka "Young Justice: Invasion" - USA (second season title)
- Usual Suspects (2012) TV episode, Played by Nick Chinlund
- Drop-Zone (2011) TV episode, Played by Danny Trejo
# Justice League: Doom (2012) (V) Played by Carlos Alazraqui

# "Batman: The Brave and the Bold"
- Menace of the Conqueror Caveman! (2009) TV episode, Played by Michael Dorn
# "The Batman"
- The Batman/Superman Story (2007) TV episode, Played by Clancy Brown
- Team Penguin (2006) TV episode, Played by Ron Perlman
- Traction (2004) TV episode, Played by Joaquim de Almeida
# Batman Legends (2006) Played by Tanoai Reed
# Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003) (V) Played by Hector Elizondo

# "Superman"
... aka "Superman: The Animated Series" - USA (informal alternative title)
- Knight Time (1998) TV episode, Played by Henry Silva
# "The New Batman Adventures"
- Over the Edge (1998) TV episode, Played by Henry Silva
# Batman & Robin (1997) Played by Jeep Swenson
# "Batman"
... aka "Batman: The Animated Series" - USA (promotional title)
... aka "The Adventures of Batman & Robin" - USA (second season title)
- Bane (1994) TV episode, Played by Henry Silva
July 20, 2012 at 10:05AM EST Reply to Comment
John Rush

Yes headline is totally misleading and misrepresents what Nolan says.
July 20, 2012 at 1:15PM EST Reply to Comment
John T

Yes headline is totally misleading and misrepresents what Nolan says in the quote
July 20, 2012 at 1:16PM EST Reply to Comment
j njnj

I’ve seen it at a midnight screening in Australia, and sadly yes the critics are right it’s not good, it’s not even close to good. The Dark Knight in 2008 was an amazing film, this one is easily the weakest of the three. He tried to do too much and failed to develop the characters really at all. There was so much going on it was hard to know who was kidnapped or being hunted or killed. It’s a shambles really. Just a shoot ‘em up, with about a lot of fancy explosions. I LOVED first two movies, this one…no no no, what have you done Mr Nolan??? As for winning oscars for acting, not even a remote possibility. You could lose an hour of it and it wouldn’t be missed.
July 21, 2012 at 3:51AM EST Reply to Comment
- NB This might not be the best forum for this, but I agree with you. Get ready to duck the brickbats.
  July 21, 2012 at 7:53AM EST
justin

this movie was alsome the best of the series, probley the best movie i have ever seen, i dont know why you guys are bitching.

July 28, 2012 at 11:48PM EST Reply to Comment

Christopher Nolan defends 'Dark Knight Rises' fans angry over bad reviews

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Albert Pickles This headline is pretty misleading. All Nolan said is that Batman fans are passionate. Not "it is okay that they are acting the way they are."

thatguy I would imagine Nolan didn't/doesn't know the lengths that those irate fans went to. Remember, people, Nolan supposedly doesn't use the internet.

Mr Rekshun Mein Gott, you're right! Let's send her a death threat!

arrow They haven't seen the film. You can't be angry that someone doesn't like a film you haven't seen.

David If comments are the place of the stupid, why are we commenting? Also, if we're stupid, are we qualified enough to make judgement calls on the quality of film or on the credibility of reviewers?

Bill I think it's pretty silly that people who mostly haven't seen the film are passionately denouncing the opinions of people who have. Say what you want once you've seen it, but keep quiet until then.

ceggertsen the anonymity of the internet tends to bring out the worst in people who hate themselves.

phil Yeah, the only problem is, Rush didn't make that contention... he was commenting on a story about Democratic strategists discussing it. Unfortunately, that was not pointed out to Mr Nolan or Mr Freeman, and was not noted in this article. Makes it less sensational, I presume.

The Bandsaw Vigilante Christy Lemire wrote a glowing review of BATTLESHIP. That tells you pretty much all you need to know about her critical street-cred, right there.

Bill Graham Do you really think Nolan will come out and say "those fans are morons and need to stop"? He went the PC way and just simply deflected the question. He doesn't directly condone nor condemn the actions.

GEORGE BANE character goes back YEARS AND YEARS of Batman go to IMDB.COM and click on the character name when you go to the Batman movie

John Rush Yes headline is totally misleading and misrepresents what Nolan says.

John T Yes headline is totally misleading and misrepresents what Nolan says in the quote

NB This might not be the best forum for this, but I agree with you. Get ready to duck the brickbats.

justin this movie was alsome the best of the series, probley the best movie i have ever seen, i dont know why you guys are bitching.

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The Dark Knight Rises is updated

Albert Pickles

This headline is pretty misleading. All Nolan said is that Batman fans are passionate. Not "it is okay that they are acting the way they are."

Bill

I think it's pretty silly that people who mostly haven't seen the film are passionately denouncing the opinions of people who have. Say what you want once you've seen it, but keep quiet until then.

phil Yeah, the only problem is, Rush didn't make that contention... he was commenting on a story about Democratic strategists discussing it.

Unfortunately, that was not pointed out to Mr Nolan or Mr Freeman, and was not noted in this article. Makes it less sensational, I presume.

The Bandsaw Vigilante

Christy Lemire wrote a glowing review of BATTLESHIP. That tells you pretty much all you need to know about her critical street-cred, right there.

Bill Graham

Do you really think Nolan will come out and say "those fans are morons and need to stop"? He went the PC way and just simply deflected the question. He doesn't directly condone nor condemn the actions.

GEORGE

BANE character goes back YEARS AND YEARS of Batman go to IMDB.COM and click on the character name when you go to the Batman movie

John Rush

Yes headline is totally misleading and misrepresents what Nolan says.

John T

Yes headline is totally misleading and misrepresents what Nolan says in the quote

justin

this movie was alsome the best of the series, probley the best movie i have ever seen, i dont know why you guys are bitching.

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