Two reviews in particular got fans' collective goat: Hollywood and Fine's "grandiose not grand" appraisal, and the Associated Press' assertion that The Dark Knight Rises was an "epic letdown."

You'd think Bane was in charge of the anarchic response.

"It's probably safe to say that The Dark Knight Rises is the most anticipated film of the year. More than The Hobbit. More than The Avengers," Rotten Tomatoes editor-in-chief Matt Atchity wrote in an open letter after he reportedly spent hours removing degrading and threatening comments.

"And," he wrote, "my staff and I knew full well that when the first negative review came in, the reviewer would get pasted in the comments. That dubious honor goes to Marshall Fine. He's a critic we've included on our site—he's got a respectable background in criticism, and we think he should be included on our site."