Rotten Tomatoes changed its policies ahead of Captain Marvel debut, citing user input 'bordering on trolling'


If you wanted to trash a movie you haven't seen because, say, your fragile masculinity couldn't handle the idea of a female superhero with her own film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe®, well, Rotten Tomatoes will no longer help.
Last week, the review aggregator changed its policies, barring users from leaving comments or rating a film until it is released in theaters. Reviews by film critics, which determine if a movie is rated "fresh" or "rotten," are not affected by the change.
Rotten Tomatoes unveiled the changes ahead of the March 8 release of Captain Marvel, which has been on the receiving end of an apparently coordinated "review bombing" by people unhappy with the movie and its star, Brie Larson. This is the first Marvel film starring a female superhero, and campaigns to tank audience ratings have been deployed on other female-centered blockbusters tied to previously male franchises — think 2016's Ghostbusters or Ocean's 8.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Paul Yanover, president of Rotten Tomatoes parent company Fandango, tells CNET these changes aren't "simply a reaction" to any specific movie. But plenty of critical online commentators drew a line between the new policy and Captain Marvel — "YouTube videos with hundreds of thousands of views have called the Rotten Tomatoes decision a 'disgusting' act of 'censorship' aimed at 'protecting' the new film," David Sims says at The Atlantic. Rotten Tomatoes says the changes were due to a general "uptick in non-constructive input, sometimes bordering on trolling, which we believe is a disservice to our general readership."
Rotten Tomatoes' perfectly sensible changes "likely won't quash review-bombing campaigns, which can simply move to other online platforms such as YouTube, Reddit, and Twitter — at least until a movie is released," Sims says. "Then, site users, including those who haven't seen a film, will be able to rate and comment as usual," keeping audience scores hostage to "exploitation by a narrow, outraged corner of the internet."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Spain's love of sunflower seeds is wrecking its football stadiums
Under the Radar One club controversially bans 'national vice' as discarded 'pipas' shells block drains and erode concrete
-
Today's political cartoons - May 11, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - shark-infested waters, Mother's Day, and more
-
5 fundamentally funny cartoons about the US Constitution
Cartoons Artists take on Sharpie edits, wear and tear, and more
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine