Early 'Dark Knight Rises' reviews revive debate: Is Batman conservative?

Let’s face it: from the moment that Andrew Klavan suggested in the Wall Street Journal that the Batman portrayed in 2008’s “The Dark Knight” had a lot in common with President George W. Bush, liberal fans of the franchise were anxious for the next film to prove Klavan wrong.

The Mixed Politics of "The Dark Knight": Anti-Occupy Critique or Attack on the 1%? | ReelPolitik: http://t.co/huzV6UXC

— Anthony Kaufman (@antkaufman) July 16, 2012

Reports that director Christopher Nolan was scouting locations near the Occupy Wall Street camps in Zuccotti Park last October turned out to be false, but liberals’ hopes rose again when early trailers for the film depicted Anne Hathaway’s character dressing down billionaire Bruce Wayne for living so large and leaving “so little for the rest of us.”

Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers is not the only one ready to pounce. British journalist Toby Young and actor Simon Pegg got the debate rolling again (with a wink emoticon, that is).

https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/224983151020224512

@toadmeister It's not conservative Toby, it's about a conservative. One who dresses up and acts out fetishistic revenge fantasies. Old story

— Pegg News (@simonpegg) July 16, 2012

https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/224992082769620992

@toadmeister That's what you infer Tory boy. 😉

— Pegg News (@simonpegg) July 16, 2012

https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/224993976707588096

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Prepare for plenty of tiresome references to the villain conveniently named “Bane.” While some are trying not to have the film’s ending spoiled, others simply don’t want politics to spoil the experience.

https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/224995071576125440

THE DARK KNIGHT: Overstuffed, overacted (Bale, why so growly?) and wears its politics on its sleeve, but on the whole this is impressive…

— Michael Ewins (@E_Film_Blog) July 16, 2012

https://twitter.com/coalspeaker/status/224995670854086661

Despite qualifying Nolan’s film as “reactionary,” Travers relented an gave the movie three-and-a-half stars out of four.

Rolling Stone gave a review that wasn't 2 stars. The Dark Knight Rises must be good.

— TITTY TITMAU5 (@NipsytheCreator) July 16, 2012