Says dumb
The film's timeline for the reactor is hard to follow, and the delay does not seem to match any technical logic. I read it as a convenient timer.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
At 1:30:00
Verdict: Guilty. 78% of viewers say this is dumb. Top defense: In the film the reactor is a fictional fusion device that Bane has altered. The science is not meant to be literal.
640 votes
Dumbness rating
7.7/ 10(640 ratings)Is this scene dumb, or does it make sense?
Rate how dumb
Bane takes a fusion reactor built by Wayne Enterprises and turns it into a bomb. A timer sets a countdown of several months. Lucius Fox says the reactor was shut down for safety reasons.
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Says dumb
The film's timeline for the reactor is hard to follow, and the delay does not seem to match any technical logic. I read it as a convenient timer.
Says dumb
Fusion reactors do not turn into bombs by being switched off and re-purposed. The film uses the word 'fusion' as a magic label and then fills the rest with plot.
Says explained
The film sets up a fictional device and its rules, then follows them. I accept it as a comic-book-style premise.
In the film the reactor is a fictional fusion device that Bane has altered. The science is not meant to be literal.
In the film the reactor is a fictional fusion device that Bane has altered. The science is not meant to be literal.
Fixes are written by people. The smallest change, in 200 characters or fewer, that would have fixed the scene. AI is used only for duplicate detection, length and moderation.
Make it a stolen fission core. The countdown becomes a decaying core with a failing cooling system, and the science sounds right.
A newer idea
Cut the line about months. Say the core is unstable and the timer is whatever Bane decides.