http://twitter.com/#!/Doc_0/status/224911783138312193

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).

I'm not the only one who thinks the Batman franchise is conservative http://t.co/HqIoLRMS

— Toby Young (@toadmeister) July 16, 2012

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

— Simon Pegg (@simonpegg) July 16, 2012

@simonpegg But the film depicts said conservative as heroic. Not unambiguously heroic, but heroic enough — as heroic as humanly possible

— Toby Young (@toadmeister) July 16, 2012

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

— Simon Pegg (@simonpegg) July 16, 2012

@simonpegg It's also telling that a conservative (we agree on that) is only man capable of dealing with terrorist threat to the rule of law

— Toby Young (@toadmeister) July 16, 2012

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.

@S217Ahmed @mrmarkmillar @simonpegg It's probably the most overtly political superhero movie since Superman

— Toby Young (@toadmeister) July 16, 2012

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

Please for the love of God keep politics out of the DARK KNIGHT!! – Really.. Democrats are using THE DARK… http://t.co/ag49ysQ5

— Bryan (@coalspeaker) July 16, 2012

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

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2012/07/16/early-dark-knight-rises-reviews-revive-debate-is-batman-conservative/