Too Dark for kids?

[CRABBAH HUK!]

I've got an 11 year old son who is dying to see this. So far, a couple reviewers have stated that this film is a PG-13 stretched to the limit and perhaps should even be R rated. One critic even said that kids below 14 should not see it. Period.

My kid is pretty thick-skinned but I'll probably see it on my own first.

What about the rest of you?

[Rezzo]

Probably a bit too dark for some, but not all.

[weezerspider]

If I were you, I'd see it first, but I'm pretty sure an 11 year old can see it. It is PG-13, so 13 and older should be good. If your son is thick-skinned he'll probably be fine, but see it first.

[turtlefocker]

I've watched R-rated movies my whole life and I turned out fine...

[Bat-Mite]

I probably wouldn't take a kid below the age of 10 to see it. Older than that should be okay, but then again, some kids can handle things better than others. But yeah, when in doubt, it's always best to screen first.

[donk70]

I'm going to see it 1st, then decide if it's fitting for my 9 year old.

The 6 year old definitely isn't seeing it, but he doesn't know that yet.

[DIRECTOR]

I've watched R-rated movies my whole life and I turned out fine...
so that explains your name ;)

[FlyingMonkey]

I'm thinking the same thing about taking my daughter (who is 8) to this film. She has seen a number of darker movies, including all three LotR films as well as Revenge of the Sith, and wasn't bothered by them. She is also a huge Batman fan and has been looking forward to seeing TDK. However, with everything we know about how dark the movie will be, I definitely won't be taking her to my initial viewing.

[Rockbottom]

I bet you saw Batman 89 before you were 15 some how :P

Well i know i did anyway, that and Returns and yeah i loved both.

[bapi]

I was 3 years old when Ive seen Burton's Batmans and 7 when Empire Strikes Back so... ;-)

[turtlefocker]

If you don't let your kids see violent movies they could become homosexual.





and if you8 do let them see them they could end up being attracted to turtles...

[isaias7]

my nephew is 4 years old and im taking him after i see,even tho is darker or not.and that was funny about turle focker LOL.

[namtaB]

Its PG-13 which I think is fine for an 11 year old. People tend to shelter their kids too much then they wonder why they are ill equipped to handle life.

[gambit420]

I could never understand the point of filtering images or misc. media from people, people would rather 'stroke themselves'(george carlin) into not seeing something because it's 'too much'..I guess during my upbringing I was watching Nightmare on Elm, Friday the 13th, IT, Halloween and Hellraiser series of films....I guess 'some can take it while others can't' but WOW man nowadays people are so....idk how to explain it...it's like ok you're not taking him to see TDK ok fine....the next day his friend suicides himself with a shotgun IN FRONT OF HIM.....please man spare me the melodrama

[Bat-Mite]

If you don't let your kids see violent movies they could become homosexual.





and if you8 do let them see them they could end up being attracted to turtles...I watched plenty of violent movies when I was a kid (the Terminator, Predator, Alien, and Robocop flicks) and still turned out homosexual. UR THEORIES IS FLAWED

....but I did also have a turtle that I rather fancied. Now I'm confused.

[turtlefocker]

I watched plenty of violent movies when I was a kid (the Terminator, Predator, Alien, and Robocop flicks) and still turned out homosexual. UR THEORIES IS FLAWED

....but I did also have a turtle that I rather fancied. Now I'm confused.

Exact science, Mr Angier, is not an exact science.

[hame4479]

I'm thinking the same thing about taking my daughter (who is 8) to this film. She has seen a number of darker movies, including all three LotR films as well as Revenge of the Sith, and wasn't bothered by them. She is also a huge Batman fan and has been looking forward to seeing TDK. However, with everything we know about how dark the movie will be, I definitely won't be taking her to my initial viewing.

Ya dark fantasy is one thing, but this is a very gritty dark film set in a very real world with very real psycho's.

[TheDarkVictory]

i definitely think this would be too dark for SOME kids, it really depends on the kid...i mean, if they sat through begins, i dont know why they cant sit through TDK....but then again, i can't really speak from experience, since we have yet to see the film. i'd just see it yourself and then decide whether or not to take your kid.

[Franky4Fingers]

This is a case by case situation...you just have to know your kid and what he or she can handle.

[Yurka]

Keeping my fingers crossed that it is.

[Spidey-Sean]

I dunno', I'd be wary. I've heard a lot of critics actually surprised it wasn't R rated. And I suppose you don't necessarily need graphic violence to be disturbed by something, child or not. There could potentially be disturbing things that are not violent.

[Juha]

I think that these "very dark and disturbing, almost should be rated R" comments are just an attempt to boost up TDK's street credibility. And the movie already has plenty of street cred cuz there has been so many talented people working on it!

I'm just saying that nowadays kids are used to pretty much everything. I bet that majority of kids between the age of 12-15 are able to handle TDK.

The entirely different thing is, are they able to appreciate the themes and undertones of the story and the characters. When you're 12, you can't really understand the meanings behind different events. You can't read between the lines and you can't delve into the psychology of the movie. You just sit and wait for the next fight/chase sequence.

[mahatmagroucho]

I'm taking my 5 and 8 year old nephews to see it.

[Batman>all]

I think anyone under the age of 9 shouldn't go but then again you'll always see the 6-8 year olds make their way through.

I find that little girls are much more brave than little boys when it comes to some what violent/scary movies. The movie experience will suck if you take a kid and it is too scary and he wants to leave halfway.

Unfortunately I'm sort of in this predicament. I have a newphew who is only 9 but is a huge Batman fan and is dieing to see this film. I'll probably end up taking him though but I'll try and prep him for the worst before that day. He is a thick skin boy though so he'll probably have a blast.

[Ace of Knaves]

i for one hope it is too dark and violent for children. i dont mean it in a obnoxious way because your kid is probly well looking forward to it. but when i was younger i used to watch all the horror films. i ad knightmares about jason for years!! lol. but i now just look at them films and laugh. i think it all depends on the individual kids, some kids are **** scared of clowns so a film with the joker in it wouldn't be good for them. but ive heard that most of the bad violence is suggested not actually fully shown. if you read the heath ledger interview with FHM he says it aint that gory. its up to you man

[BAILY]

If you don't let your kids see violent movies they could become homosexual.

that is simply the greatest quote ever :funny:

[DAMU RYDER]

Take your kid, i bet when u was a child u saw a lot darker films than a batman movie.

[Nightwatcher11]

If he's too scared, he's a ****ing p****
He's 11 years old. :dry:

[Kaizer104]

Take your kid, i bet when u was a child u saw a lot darker films than a batman movie.
Yes, of course. Because every parent lets their kids see movies like SAW.

Personally, I wouldn't even think of taking anyone under 10 to this movie unless they were thick skinned and I knew they could handle it. From just reading stuff that happens in this movie, I can tell it may not be something I would want an 8 year old sitting next to me crying about.

I had enough of the whole child-freak out with Spider-Man 3. Bah, darn kids were scared of Spidey's attitude with the black suit.

[Nightwatcher11]

yea I dunno if I'm even gonna take my bro along. I probably will but he got scared from the scarecrow in Batman begins. Then again he was 6. So who knows.

[Symbiotic]

*thinks back to what happened the last time a Batman movie was accused of being too dark*

[Hole Shot]

Here's a few scenes you might want to consider before taking the kids

a copy cat Batman hanging by a noose in downtown Gotham with a knife stuck in his chest

Joker making a pencil disappear and it appearing in a gangster's head

A man gets half his face burned off

[DAMU RYDER]

Yes, of course. Because every parent lets their kids see movies like SAW.

Personally, I wouldn't even think of taking anyone under 10 to this movie unless they were thick skinned and I knew they could handle it. From just reading stuff that happens in this movie, I can tell it may not be something I would want an 8 year old sitting next to me crying about.

I had enough of the whole child-freak out with Spider-Man 3. Bah, darn kids were scared of Spidey's attitude with the black suit.

ok im not talkin bout no horror film. im jus saying they are more darker and grittier film than tdk. You acting like the movie is gonna have people heads getting chops off.

[Kaizer104]

ok im not talkin bout no horror film. im jus saying they are more darker and grittier film than tdk. You acting like the movie is gonna have people heads getting chops off.
For one, I'm pointing to Hole Shot's examples for one. And there are a few other things in the movie I would consider before taking a kid under 10 to see the movie.

[The Denialist]

I had enough of the whole child-freak out with Spider-Man 3. Bah, darn kids were scared of Spidey's attitude with the black suit.
Back when Spider-Man 2 came out, I went to see it with my younger brother, who was about eight at the time, and my cousin, who is a year older than my brother is. My brother loves any and all things violent, so he had absolutely no problem with the film, but my cousin had a total breakdown during the hospital scene with Doc Oc. He was in tears and was breathing through a paper bag. He had a similar freak out during Episode 3.

To the original poster: What it all boils down to is whether or not your child would be able to handle TDK's content. And since the only way to know for sure is to see the movie, I suggest, like many others already have, that you see the movie before you make the decision to bring your child.

[CRABBAH HUK!]

If he's too scared, he's a ****ing p****


True. And I'd probably never forgive myself if my kid turned out not like you.

[Juha]

*thinks back to what happened the last time a Batman movie was accused of being too dark*

Schumacher happened.

http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Batman-Forever-Poster-C13021373.jpeg

Nice nipples.

[Nivek]

Watch it first, Parental Guidance and all. Then you will know if he can check it out.

[Symbiotic]

Schumacher happened.

http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Batman-Forever-Poster-C13021373.jpeg

Nice nipples.I just wanna say right now, regardless of what some people may think of Jett, you can't deny that he'll do his best to make sure that THIS never happens again.

[chubbyman]

if you're taking your kid to see it, beware of two-face :yay:

[TonySoprano]

Just watch it with him together. I remember watching Batman 89 when I was 8 years old and there are some pretty brutal killing in this one too. ;)

[ArcXIX]

:woot:

[hame4479]

I just wanna say right now, regardless of what some people may think of Jett, you can't deny that he'll do his best to make sure that THIS never happens again.

Im pretty sure there would be rioting worldwide if THAT ever happened again!

[Symbiotic]

Im pretty sure there would be rioting worldwide if THAT ever happened again!Indeed. Though I don't expect THAT to ever happen again. WB's been down that road before, they don't wanna go there again.

[BatoutofHell]

Is it a matter of the kid being outright afraid, obviously as a parent you would know if they would be afraid, or that the kid would love it but as a parent you're worried about exposing them to violence and whatnot?

If its the latter, take the kid to the movie, but if they are going to be having nightmares about it, maybe wait a bit.

If the kid has seen trailers and adverts and wants to go, I'd honestly let them.

After all, what doesn't kill you...

[Kaizer104]

Is it a matter of the kid being outright afraid, obviously as a parent you would know if they would be afraid, or that the kid would love it but as a parent you're worried about exposing them to violence and whatnot?

If its the latter, take the kid to the movie, but if they are going to be having nightmares about it, maybe wait a bit.

If the kid has seen trailers and adverts and wants to go, I'd honestly let them.

After all, what doesn't kill you...
only makes you.. stranger....

But see, kids don't always know what's best for them. They could scream and rave about seeing something and afterwards be completely freaked out by the experience. My cousin was like that about the Superman rollercoaster in New England. He wanted so badly to ride it and figures, we get to the top before the dive and he's become the whiniest little kid ever. He is currently traumatized by rollercoasters and refuses to get on them.

[Knives and Lint]

Yes, of course. Because every parent lets their kids see movies like SAW.



Lmao my brother, some friends and I went to a holloween party, when we came back early (had to, the drunks got to crazy and everyone had to leave >.>) the kids were still coming to the door. My brother dressed as the jig-saw puppet guy was giving out some candy and I swear i was like "wtf?!" when the 12 year olds KNEW who he was and even said they LOVED the movie!
And the year before that it was the same when he was chucky.
What are these parents thinking?!

Well chucky (child's play 1) isn't that bad, I saw it when I was 5 (dad was babysitting me and it was on tv). Lol after that I started questioning my dolls. xD



But anyway,
every child is different with how mature they are. All I can say is see the movie first, decide if you think he can handle it, then see the movie with him. That's pretty much what my parents did to me and I'm fine - lol I can see movies today like SAW that my dad won't see. xD
I don't think your son will take the movie seriously, C'mon a man in a bat suit fighting a clown - by your son's age he should know that isn't very realistic no matter how good nolan is. :-)

[Bat-Mite]

Just watch it with him together. I remember watching Batman 89 when I was 8 years old and there are some pretty brutal killing in this one too. ;)I watched Batman '89 when I was 4 and wasn't traumatized. However, despite having a few dark moments, that movie was also a lot lighter than this one will be. Hell, I might even go so far as to say that Batman Returns was lighter.

[ctkwilson]

I will take my 13 year old son, but NOT my 9 year old daughter. My hillbilly neighbors are taking both their boy's... 9 and 6. Everytime I see them I hear the faint pickin' of a banjo off in the distance!

[Attikus]

I saw toddlers at the screening of THE STRANGERS. That's not cool. But a sophisticated 7 year old could handle The Dark Knight. I saw the Exorcist when I was 6 years old...I had nightmares for a month. But then I was OK;)

[Knives and Lint]

I just pray no one brings their baby to the movie, I die a little inside when a baby starts crying at the movies (same with the old people talking on the cell phones and the holister kids constantly texting on the ****ing cell phones and saying "DAMN!" when something happens >.>)

[ArkhamAsylum]

i grew up with movies like labyrinth, dark crystal, Nightmare on elm street...Legend...etc...when the HELL did people get so touchy on flicks? those movies now adays would scare the crap out of some 5 year old...i turned out fine! (twitch twitch) But..on the flip side...the LAST bloody thing i wanna hear when watching the freakin' DARK KNIGHT for the first time...is some little kid crying or talking...so...F*** EM! :)

[Bat-Mite]

Meh. I saw parents (and even some churches) taking their children to The Passion of the Christ when that came out. And I'm talking about 4 and 5 year olds here. There are some crazy people in this world.

[Patty]

I think itll be pretty dark, but if you gotta kid like i do, youll be fine. Im gonna take my 5 year old in August, but I know he can take it cus he loooves Jason (Friday the 13th) movies.

[BatoutofHell]

Well obviously kids don't always know whats best for them, but without getting into philosophy and all that unrelated ****, I think its good to get stuff out there, you know, not pretend that things like death and sex don't exist. For instance, I know a 12 year old who has seen Rambo, loves Penn and Teller BS and plays GTA 4 and he is the smartest and most mature kid I know.

But again, you're kids, you know how they will react. Don't worry about what other people say, you know if your kid can handle it or not.

[SuperBatman]

There are some weird Parents out that they would let there kids see anything. I remember when I was working at another Theater and Parents was taking their kids to see House of a 1000 Corpses.

[nickyg641]

I think kids have thicker skin than most parents would like to believe. Some kids are sensetive, that's for sure, but most would be fine with something like TDK. I would say that if kids can watch a noseless Ralph Feinnes slaughter little British children, they can handle the Joker.

My guess would be, say, 9 and up can handle The Dark Knight.

[Patty]

There are some weird Parents out that they would let there kids see anything. I remember when I was working at another Theater and Parents was taking their kids to see House of a 1000 Corpses.

I remember as an 8 year old every parent let their kid see "Robocop 2" cus he was a cop, and that flick was f**kin RUTHLESS. Like people shootin drugs in their neck, gettin shot in the eyeball, brains ripped out, R-Rated RUTHLESS.

L:woot:L

[jmc]

I for one don't care if it's too Dark for kids, having said that I think parents forget that kids these days can view just about anything online, not too mention the hundreds of violent video games, one film about a creepy clown is not going to do anything to a kid, people should stop trying to wrap kids up in cotton wool.

[kid bosco]

Whenever I hear a kid mentions Batman, their parents say "You're not gonna watch that, sweetie. That's a bit too dark for you".

[phillyboy]

I dont care how old they are, as long as they dont start crying or make a scene. Its a pretty long movie, a lot of people are probally gonna get restless anyway.

[Conebone69]

If you don't let your kids see violent movies they could become homosexual.





and if you8 do let them see them they could end up being attracted to turtles...
:funny:

Im sure this movie would be fine for an eleven year old. Go to imdb.com and search the dark knight. They have a review for parents

[SuperBatman]

I just pray no one brings their baby to the movie, I die a little inside when a baby starts crying at the movies (same with the old people talking on the cell phones and the holister kids constantly texting on the ****ing cell phones and saying "DAMN!" when something happens >.>)

There was this one time in Iron Man where this couple brought their Baby into the movie and it cried almost all the damn time and instead of taking it out and trying to calm it down they just let him keep crying so I went out and talked to the employee's there and they gave me a free pass and they talked to the people.

[Patty]

I just pray no one brings their baby to the movie, I die a little inside when a baby starts crying at the movies (same with the old people talking on the cell phones and the holister kids constantly texting on the ****ing cell phones and saying "DAMN!" when something happens >.>)

AWESOME username, btw.

[TLH]

I could care less about this film's lack of kid-friendliness. Nolan's films are grounded on a maturity and intelligence that transcends what would appeal to young audiences. I think it's about time that Batman was tailored in the right context (dark, brooding, and serious) and to the right people (adults). Nolan's Batman will never be a child's superhero, and personally that's the way I like it.

[kyuubijavi1]

I think any one under 7 should just stay away but from there on up sure watch it some times you can catch on to worse things by just scrolling up through the television chanells

[Mr. Earle]

I'm taking my 5 and 8 year old nephews to see it.
You sick bastard!!! :grin:

[Mee]

Probably a bit too dark for some, but not all.
Yeah, you have to know your kid, and maybe see it before he/she/it does.


When I saw Iron Man, there was a kid with his dad, and he was fine with the killing and the explosions, but when Pepper was changing Tony's "battery" he got his dad to take him out of the room.

So...:shrug:

I could see kids being scared by Dent getting scarred, (depending on how they do it) but besides that if they were fine with Begins, they should be fine with this.

[TH3D4RKKN1GH7]

And it should be. Batman wasn't made for the kiddies and it always fails when it tries to adapt for them. Batman and Robin, THE BATMAN, and the new Batman: The Bold and the Brave will probably fail as well being as though its trying the same method. The character is naturally dark, from his origins to his methods of operating. The darker the better, this is also why Gotham Knight kicks so much ass.

[DieSmiling]

If your kid is thick skinned he should be fine. I started watching R-rated movies when I was 7 or 8... It's really not a big deal.

[bkey]

Fortunately I don't have kids so I don't have to worry about making any decisions like that.

[DiFabio]

Some things will go right over their head. It definately depends on the child. I know a few kids under the age of 13 that could handle this one, I wouldn't be too worried.

I'm still waiting for someone to explain the meaning behind how "dark" something is. It seems more like an over used cliche.

[DarkReflections]

If you don't let your kids see violent movies they could become homosexual.





and if you8 do let them see them they could end up being attracted to turtles...

wait, turtles? why not hippos? :huh:

[TheShadow]

okay im not reading all the pages here. but from the title all i have to say to this is...This thread is like 1992 all over again. I just hope the mothers of America don't feel the same way lol

[nickyg641]

And it should be. Batman wasn't made for the kiddies and it always fails when it tries to adapt for them. Batman and Robin, THE BATMAN, and the new Batman: The Bold and the Brave will probably fail as well being as though its trying the same method. The character is naturally dark, from his origins to his methods of operating. The darker the better, this is also why Gotham Knight kicks so much ass.
You realise that Batman was created for children, right? Adults didn't read comics in the 1930's. Batman has always been accessible to all ages. And TDK seems to continue that. As long as it's not "R"-rated, Batman will be enjoyed by all generations of Bat-fans. How old were you when you became a Batman fan?

[TheShadow]

okay im not reading all the pages here. but from the title all i have to say to this is...This thread is like 1992 all over again. I just hope the mothers of America don't feel the same way lol

[Sharkboy]

And it should be. Batman wasn't made for the kiddies and it always fails when it tries to adapt for them. Batman and Robin, THE BATMAN, and the new Batman: The Bold and the Brave will probably fail as well being as though its trying the same method. The character is naturally dark, from his origins to his methods of operating. The darker the better, this is also why Gotham Knight kicks so much ass.

B:TAS was for the kiddies, and before you say it wasn't yes it was. It just was alot more gutsy than your usual kids show today. You aren't nessesarily right by saying the darker batman is the better. I don't want to see an R rated batman, because it would not be Batman to me, it would be something frank miller thought up. While Batman should be more mature than say Spider-man or Superman, The franchise should and will never abandon it's younger fanbase. You might not like a show like THE BATMAN, because it dosen't adhere to YOUR Batman, but to the kids, it's cool and fun and hip, I would not call them failures at all, and I have every hope in the world that brave and the bold will be great for them.

The Dark Knight may have issues and dillemmas hard for younger kids to understand, but this is BATMAN, you need to give them a break. Nolan made these films with different layers to appeal to different people. Action, Adventure, Psychological Thriller, Suspense etc. A kid dosen't have to go in understanding every nuance of the plot, they came to see batman kick jokers arse. So what if the joker scares them, it makes it all the more exciting and interesting for them.

I remember watching Batman returns when i was 8, and that scared the holy crap out of me, but it fascinated me BECAUSE it was so scary.

[Bat-Mite]

B:TAS was for the kiddies, and before you say it wasn't yes it was. It just was alot more gutsy than your usual kids show today. You aren't nessesarily right by saying the darker batman is the better. I don't want to see an R rated batman, because it would not be Batman to me, it would be something frank miller thought up. While Batman should be more mature than say Spider-man or Superman, The franchise should and will never abandon it's younger fanbase. You might not like a show like THE BATMAN, because it dosen't adhere to YOUR Batman, but to the kids, it's cool and fun and hip, I would not call them failures at all, and I have every hope in the world that brave and the bold will be great for them.

The Dark Knight may have issues and dillemmas hard for younger kids to understand, but this is BATMAN, you need to give them a break. Nolan made these films with different layers to appeal to different people. Action, Adventure, Psychological Thriller, Suspense etc. A kid dosen't have to go in understanding every nuance of the plot, they came to see batman kick jokers arse. So what if the joker scares them, it makes it all the more exciting and interesting for them.

I remember watching Batman returns when i was 8, and that scared the holy crap out of me, but it fascinated me BECAUSE it was so scary.Heh. I was about to post something just like this, but you said it all a lot better than I would have. Great post. :up:

[Sharkboy]

Heh. I was about to post something just like this, but you said it all a lot better than I would have. Great post. :up:

Oh, arigatou-gozaimasu :grin:

[redfirebird2008]

I've got an 11 year old son who is dying to see this. So far, a couple reviewers have stated that this film is a PG-13 stretched to the limit and perhaps should even be R rated. One critic even said that kids below 14 should not see it. Period.

My kid is pretty thick-skinned but I'll probably see it on my own first.

What about the rest of you?

My parents took me to see B89 when I was 3 years old. I saw Terminator 2 when I was 5 (rated R movie). I would not worry about it too much.

[Knives and Lint]

AWESOME username, btw.

Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint :)

[Sharkboy]

My parents took me to see B89 when I was 3 years old. I saw Terminator 2 when I was 5 (rated R movie). I would not worry about it too much.

When i saw T2 on tv as a child, i thought it was the coolest movie in existance, and i remember covering my eyes when arnie cut open his arm. It was scary and a little disturbing, but it was a thrill and it's things like that, parents should expose their over sheltered kids to sometimes. Im not saying show your 8 year old kids R rated movies, but a little something to scare them isn't going to scar them for life, in fact it will make them a little tougher.

OOO i tell you something that gave me quite a few scars though, watching Silence of the lambs when i was 6. :csad:

[CRABBAH HUK!]

I for one don't care if it's too Dark for kids, having said that I think parents forget that kids these days can view just about anything online, not too mention the hundreds of violent video games, one film about a creepy clown is not going to do anything to a kid, people should stop trying to wrap kids up in cotton wool.


Kids can find porno online...I mind as well go take him to a hooker...after I teach him to drink and drive and pass a drug test.

:whatever:

Most parents are not that stupid or naive. We know we can't shelter our kids from the world forever, but that doesn't mean we've gotta shove it down their throats.

[turtlefocker]

When I was six I was already watching Friday the 13th movies and dressing up as Jason for Halloween...

[Solidus]

You realise that Batman was created for children, right? Adults didn't read comics in the 1930's. Batman has always been accessible to all ages. And TDK seems to continue that. As long as it's not "R"-rated, Batman will be enjoyed by all generations of Bat-fans. How old were you when you became a Batman fan?

Have you read IGN/Mori's review, and many others?

Regardless of who wants to argue what it was aimed for, now it does seem to be aimed at adults.

Mori, and IGN were more then surprised it was not rated R. Mori said don't take anyone under the age of 14, and IGN said about the same.

Sounds like it is very dark. The pencil trick is very disturbing from what Mori said.

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I saw 89 in the theaters opening night then a week later at the age of 5, I also saw BR when it came out in 1992 opening night, I remember being a little scared of Burtons Penguin but I liked it that way! I think some kids will love this film, mostly though if they can handle the 2 1/2 hour time span.

[Visionary]

A PG-13 film, come on now, kids watch a lot more darker and adult oriented flicks on cable, hell, even basic cable. This will be another pretend to be dark and gritty movie to the average kid.

[aturner]

I could care less about this film's lack of kid-friendliness. Nolan's films are grounded on a maturity and intelligence that transcends what would appeal to young audiences. I think it's about time that Batman was tailored in the right context (dark, brooding, and serious) and to the right people (adults). Nolan's Batman will never be a child's superhero, and personally that's the way I like it.
Right there with you. I for one am glad that Nolan doesn't seem to be making Kid-friendly Batman films. If children still enjoy it for what they see in superhero films, fine, but I'm glad that is not the focus of this series of films. Batman deserves to be explored this way and I'm enjoying the hell out of it.

As for taking kids, I've seen children of 7-8 with more maturity and ability to handle things than 13-14 year olds so it all depends on the child. If you're a parent you should have a good idea of how your children may handle it. If not, watch it first and then decide.

[TheBatman072]

If he wants to see it, let him see it.


If he gets scared, take him out. If not, let him stay.


It's really up to him if he wants to be scared by this movie or not.

[nickyg641]

Have you read IGN/Mori's review, and many others?

Regardless of who wants to argue what it was aimed for, now it does seem to be aimed at adults.

Mori, and IGN were more then surprised it was not rated R. Mori said don't take anyone under the age of 14, and IGN said about the same.

Sounds like it is very dark. The pencil trick is very disturbing from what Mori said.
Well, I just was reading BoF's review, and he said a twelve year old should be able to handle it. So I guess that's straight from the horse's mouth. Now, I would say that's probably give or take a few years depending on the kid.

And I'm really curious as to what exactly the pencil trick is. I first heard it mentioned in the original review that popped up at RT. All he said was that he makes a pencil disappear.

[Ace of Spades]

The "pencil trick" is disturbing because Joker makes it disappear into a mobster's head.

[The_Joker7895]

I think TDK will be too dark for kids. IGN and many other reviewers have clearly stated that this is not only the most disturbingly violent Batman film to date, but it's also dealing with a lot of mature and dark themes that most kids under 15 won't be able to understand. Plus, a lot of kids can't sit through a 90 minute film, much less a 152 minute one. I personally think it's a parenting decision, but if I were a parent, I would definitely not take my child to this film,unless I was absolutely certain beyond a shadow of a doubt he was mature enough to grasp it. See it first, then decide whether or not to take the kids. That's my call. I personally also don't want any little kids ruining the theatre experience of this masterpiece.

[Antrax255]

Anyone of the age of 10 ^ should be fine kids today as seen so much crazy ish this wouldnt even be a dent in they psyche.

[the_tortel]

simplest, most truest answer for this thread title's question:
depends on the kid

[KILLING JOKER]

It depends on age as far as I'm concerned. I mean, does the kid get scared easily? That's a factor too. People need to worry about thier own children, which should not be a problem, as opposed to being concerned about the children of the whole world.

A basic rule of thumb would be ummmm follow the rating. 13+ good to go. 1 to 12 perhaps not.

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

11 year olds today aren't the 11 year olds of say...1989. He can handle it.

See it yourself 1st, and judge for yourself.

why would you think 11 year olds in the 80's would be more timid than 11 year olds now? You act like the 80's we're like the 50's or something.

[X-Rated]

Kids more and more at younger ages are better equip to handle such things now days.

[Yurka]

From Moriarty at AICN

"I’m not sure kids under 14 or 15 should see this film. For one thing, they won’t understand a lot of it. I don’t think moral ambiguity is one of the things kids look for in their movies. For another thing, the parts they do understand will probably scare the **** out of them. This movie pushed the PG-13 to the breaking point, and I’m not sure how Warner Bros. pulled it off."

[Nivek]

From Moriarty at AICN

"I’m not sure kids under 14 or 15 should see this film. For one thing, they won’t understand a lot of it. I don’t think moral ambiguity is one of the things kids look for in their movies. For another thing, the parts they do understand will probably scare the **** out of them. This movie pushed the PG-13 to the breaking point, and I’m not sure how Warner Bros. pulled it off."

Some of that cash Joker was burning was "misplaced" into a few MPAA pockets, thats how.

[samsnee]

why would you think 11 year olds in the 80's would be more timid than 11 year olds now? You act like the 80's we're like the 50's or something.

I think the conventional wisdom is that kids today are more exposed to violent and disturbing things because of the Internet and technology. Heck, even some of the standards about how grotesque images can be seen on tv have been relaxed. I would say that a kid from the 1950s would probably be more timid about seeing some stuff on-screen from the 1980s than a 80s kid would.

[SonikDeath]

Ive heard this film pushes PG-13 to the edge, not sure if a little kid should be watching it, 12 would probably me the minimum age, but cant be sure till weve seen the film.

[Spider-Vader]

From Moriarty at AICN

"I’m not sure kids under 14 or 15 should see this film. For one thing, they won’t understand a lot of it. I don’t think moral ambiguity is one of the things kids look for in their movies. For another thing, the parts they do understand will probably scare the **** out of them. This movie pushed the PG-13 to the breaking point, and I’m not sure how Warner Bros. pulled it off."

I understood BB perfectly when I saw it when I was like 11, though I was smarter than the average 11 year old. :oldrazz:

[X-Rated]

I think the conventional wisdom is that kids today are more exposed to violent and disturbing things because of the Internet and technology. Heck, even some of the standards about how grotesque images can be seen on tv have been relaxed. I would say that a kid from the 1950s would probably be more timid about seeing some stuff on-screen from the 1980s than a 80s kid would.

Exactly

[MattBearPig]

If the Joker, Scarecrow and Two-face don't scare the living piss out of elementary school kids, then they aren't doing their jobs as villains properly.

[Yurka]

If the Joker, Scarecrow and Two-face don't scare the living piss out of elementary school kids, then they aren't doing their jobs as villains properly.

Agreed.

[TH3D4RKKN1GH7]

You realise that Batman was created for children, right? Adults didn't read comics in the 1930's. Batman has always been accessible to all ages. And TDK seems to continue that. As long as it's not "R"-rated, Batman will be enjoyed by all generations of Bat-fans. How old were you when you became a Batman fan?

I do but that doesn't mean its necesarrily the best choice of material for kids to read, especially gun totting batman from like 39. Its very mature I'd say especially the comics. A lot of the kids are batman fans not from the comics but from the TV shows, and the Batman and Robin. Ehh.

B:TAS was for the kiddies, and before you say it wasn't yes it was. It just was alot more gutsy than your usual kids show today. You aren't nessesarily right by saying the darker batman is the better. I don't want to see an R rated batman, because it would not be Batman to me, it would be something frank miller thought up. While Batman should be more mature than say Spider-man or Superman, The franchise should and will never abandon it's younger fanbase. You might not like a show like THE BATMAN, because it dosen't adhere to YOUR Batman, but to the kids, it's cool and fun and hip, I would not call them failures at all, and I have every hope in the world that brave and the bold will be great for them.

The Dark Knight may have issues and dillemmas hard for younger kids to understand, but this is BATMAN, you need to give them a break. Nolan made these films with different layers to appeal to different people. Action, Adventure, Psychological Thriller, Suspense etc. A kid dosen't have to go in understanding every nuance of the plot, they came to see batman kick jokers arse. So what if the joker scares them, it makes it all the more exciting and interesting for them.

I remember watching Batman returns when i was 8, and that scared the holy crap out of me, but it fascinated me BECAUSE it was so scary.

You just made the exact argument for defending this thread topic. The fascination aspect yeah everyone is fascinated by things they fear to an extent but some parents may twist that you know how people are. Kid might have enjoyed watching it but he goes home with nightmares of a man in clown makeup with a red glascow smile. I'd also say not every kid was like you, and myself to that extent. A friend of mine was scared ****less of the Joker from 89 when we were kids.

As far as the shows go we are gonna have to agree to disagree. The Batman I find to be absolutely horrid, why not just put Animated Series back on. That was the only one I feel kinda worked and thats because it found the sweet spot. No one died and no at my age that irks me but you know I get what you're saying. When you get older taste changes, I just kinda wish they'd make something like Gotham Knight for TV, or maybe continually make the DVDs/Blu-Rays.

[Cory]

hell the way kids are today anyone can see it.

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I think the conventional wisdom is that kids today are more exposed to violent and disturbing things because of the Internet and technology. Heck, even some of the standards about how grotesque images can be seen on tv have been relaxed. I would say that a kid from the 1950s would probably be more timid about seeing some stuff on-screen from the 1980s than a 80s kid would.

ya thats pretty much common sense. As time has gone by in the history of our country, things have gotten worse and what is even shown on the news is more violent, but the 80's were violent, I think the 80's were actually the breaking point in the most violent films, tv in general.

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I understood BB perfectly when I saw it when I was like 11, though I was smarter than the average 11 year old. :oldrazz:

so what are you now 14? lol

[Yurka]

so what are you now 14? lol

LOL.:hehe:

[TH3D4RKKN1GH7]

hell the way kids are today anyone can see it.

LOL truer words were never spoken. The **** that flies outta these little kids' mouthes these days.

[jmc]

Kids can find porno online...I mind as well go take him to a hooker...after I teach him to drink and drive and pass a drug test.

:whatever:

Most parents are not that stupid or naive. We know we can't shelter our kids from the world forever, but that doesn't mean we've gotta shove it down their throats.

Doesn't mean parents can stop them from watching it either in this day and age, 1 day after release the film will be available on the net for download, then it doesn't matter whether or not the parents prevent them from seeing it at the theatre, they'll see it regardless.

[jtfaria]

I'm still waiting for someone to explain the meaning behind how "dark" something is. It seems more like an over used cliche.

When the press tells you how dark it is, it means they still haven't figured out where Adam West went.

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

^
LOL thanks for giving me a laugh!

[Parquagh]

I hope it's dark as some reviews say... you know pg-13 in the borderline of R...

[Dr.Omega]

hell the way kids are today anyone can see it.
agreed

[LastSunrise1981]

If kids these days can handle films like SAW and Hostel then The Dark Knight shouldn't be an issue at all.

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

If kids these days can handle films like SAW and Hostel then The Dark Knight shouldn't be an issue at all.


I didnt know they lowered the age to see rated R films in the theaters. hehe lol those kids are seeing them on their own!

[FCEEVIPER]

Too Dark for kids?
Thank god! I hate kids. :hehe:

[William_C]

I'm a see it first before taking my little brother to go.

[BatmanFanatic]

Personally I'm disturbed by people cheerfully saying they're going to take 4,5, yr olds etc to the film in this thread. WTF is wrong with you people?

Mori said they should be 14 or older, as did IMDB. Even if you have a "really mature kid" I would say 12 is a minimum then.

If you understand anything about child developmental psychology, you really can't be a "very mature for your age" 7 year old, I'm sorry. Your brain is not grown up yet. You're going to get nightmares, PTSD after being exposed to traumatic violent images. And if you see enough traumatic violent images as a child, you're going to grow up desencitized (sp?) to the point of no longer having a healthy respect for non-violence and compassion towards others.

All these Saw and Hostel movies, and torture porn and all the rest of that garbage is why we now have people in our army in Iraq torturing little children in front of their parents, and back home we're arguing about whether or not that is okay. I mean... this is something that its possible to even ARGUE IF ITS OKAY OR NOT???? Why is that I wonder? Well, torture is so damn cool in the movies everyone. Whats the "big deal" if it happens in real life.

Bottom line is glorifying sick violence on a massive scale in the US has created a lot of f***ing IDIOTS and sociopaths. People who get off on making little kids see disturbing movies so they can "toughen up" and "not become homosexuals." Parents like that should be LOCKED UP. Including every last bastard that took a grade-school-age child to see Passion OTC. :cmad:

[nickyg641]

I understood BB perfectly when I saw it when I was like 11, though I was smarter than the average 11 year old. :oldrazz:
Same here. I saw Begins a after I had just turned eleven, and I had no problem with it. Hell, I saw A Clockwork Orange when I was thirteen and I have no problem. Most kids wouldn't get nightmares from TDK, they'd be fascinated by it.

[BatmanFanatic]

Same here. I saw Begins a after I had just turned eleven, and I had no problem with it. Hell, I saw A Clockwork Orange when I was thirteen and I have no problem. Most kids wouldn't get nightmares from TDK, they'd be fascinated by it.

Really?

I wonder how you can say that considering that #1.) You haven't seen the film #2.) So many reviewers are saying KEEP KIDS AWAY and #3.) you haven't exactly conducted a large scale study to see how many children get nightmares and how many are "fascinated."

[FCEEVIPER]

If I had kids, I would make them watch TDK like this:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/theater/images/clockwork_big.jpg

At any age. :woot:










Ok I'll stop now, I had my fun.

:cwink:

[Crook]

All these Saw and Hostel movies, and torture porn and all the rest of that garbage is why we now have people in our army in Iraq torturing little children in front of their parents, and back home we're arguing about whether or not that is okay.
Are you one of those people that blame video games for high school shootings, too? :csad:

[ironwez20]

i hate the hostel and saw movies too but if its what people like then who could blame them, i think some of these horor movies today are the sickest things ive ever seen.

but thens again this is a batman movie and kids love batman whos gonna stop them

[DSET]

A PENCIL
thats wats gonna stop em
youll see I'll show ya:hehe:

[BatmanFanatic]

Are you one of those people that blame video games for high school shootings, too? :csad:

I "blame" violence for creating more violence, however it goes around, what goes around comes around.

Obviously not every kid playing video games is going to turn into a murdering freak, but if there were no films which glorified violence, tv shows which glorified violence, or video games which glorified violence, I doubt the kids who did those things would even know how to hold a gun. Our culture is teaching us that "violence is cool" and "violence solves all the problems in 2 hours or less" and I think that is a problem, especially for younger children who are not yet developed enough to distinguish reality from fantasy.

[Commodore Schmidlapp]

Are you one of those people that blame video games for high school shootings, too? :csad:
Yeah seriously, people need to take responsibility for their actions. Using video games, movies, rap or metal is just an easy way of placing blame on someone else. Horror is one of my favorite genres, and in my 26 years I've never laid an ill hand on anyone.

[nickyg641]

Really?

I wonder how you can say that considering that #1.) You haven't seen the film #2.) So many reviewers are saying KEEP KIDS AWAY and #3.) you haven't exactly conducted a large scale study to see how many children get nightmares and how many are "fascinated."
That's just the nature of kids. At least, kids nine or ten and up. I would know, because I am one, and I was that age not too long ago. They see worse things in video games and in other movies. If watching Ralph Fienne's noseless skull of a face doesn't scare them, or Geoffrey Rush as a half-decomposed skeleton pirate, I don't see why man in clown paint would be so much worse.

[Leenie]

I don't have any kids, so I can't speak from experience. If I had kids, however, I would just see the movie without them first, and then decide if they can handle it and if I'm ok with them watching it.

If the movie turns out to be too dark for kids, then it sucks for them. It doesn't really affect me.

[ironwez20]

lol great point, ive seen much worse things on disney movies then on any batman movie, explain why they allways kill the mother off, and remember on disneys taran when the bad guy gets hung by the vines, and bambi when the mom gets shot, and what about the end of potc 3 were will was going down on elizabeth, well kinda he kissed her leg.

[BatmanFanatic]

Yeah seriously, people need to take responsibility for their actions. Using video games, movies, rap or metal is just an easy way of placing blame on someone else. Horror is one of my favorite genres, and in my 26 years I've never laid an ill hand on anyone.

I also agree that people need to take responsibility for their actions - because I am YOUR age, and not a 5 year old. If I were a 5 year old, I would not understand what "taking responsibility for my actions" meant. Young kids who go out and shoot someone and they die, they get confused about what happened, wish they could take it back, but they can't. They might even be tried as an adult, be thrown in jail, have the rest of their entire life ruined, and they didn't UNDERSTAND that there are CONSEQUENCES like that precisely because they are CHILDREN.

All of you who are taking little kids to see the film, you probably wouldn't put a loaded gun in your childs bedroom dresser right? Even if you told them "don't play with that it's dangerous" right? Because who knows what can happen, little kids can't control their emotions very well, they could get into a big fight and decide to shoot their sibling.

Well if you wouldn't let them near a loaded gun, why would you let them near material that teaches them 1.) How to use a gun 2.) That using a gun is FUN, EXCITING and SOLVES ALL YOUR PROBLEMS.

???

That's what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about adults choosing to watch horror, or those of you who survived the Halloween movies when you were younger and now claim you just loved those nightmares you had, so all the other little children you know should suffer in the same way because its "fun" and it "toughens them up." I'm sorry, thats just SICK.

[Dr.Omega]

meh i sat next to a kid who was probably no more than 8 years old when i saw rob zombie's halloween on opening night, times have changed, they can handle it

[SPIDERMAN117]

Too Dark for kids? No.

Why? Most kids on the Under the age of 13 have seen more disturbing things and more sexual referecne in films. For one my 10 year old cousin is Hyped like a MotherFf***** and his mom may or may not let him see this movie. And I told her "Well lets see he's seen Texas Chainsaw Massace, American Phyco, Superbad,Halloween, and all of them are rated R n The Dark Knight is rrated PG-13 :huh: So basically I conviced her to let him see The Dark Knight"

And if your kids get scared. Well......Go watch Batman and Robin :yay:

[Crook]

Obviously not every kid playing video games is going to turn into a murdering freak, but if there were no films which glorified violence, tv shows which glorified violence, or video games which glorified violence, I doubt the kids who did those things would even know how to hold a gun. To rid of all those things you just mentioned, we'd be living in an isolated society. For better or for worse, this is not a utopia.
Our culture is teaching us that "violence is cool" and "violence solves all the problems in 2 hours or less" and I think that is a problem, especially for younger children who are not yet developed enough to distinguish reality from fantasy.
The best course of action is to obviously educate the children on these matters. I'm all for shielding them from excessively violent visuals, but only if it's truly a horrific image that might traumatize them in the years to come. There's a difference between shocking/scary imagery and gratuitous/explicit violence.

But even then, there are still some who can "take it" without being affected. I know, because I'm one of them and so are many of my friends. At best, all it has done is desensitize us from becoming aware of how troublesome these images may be to others.

[BatmanFanatic]

That's just the nature of kids. At least, kids nine or ten and up. I would know, because I am one, and I was that age not too long ago. They see worse things in video games and in other movies. If watching Ralph Fienne's noseless skull of a face doesn't scare them, or Geoffrey Rush as a half-decomposed skeleton pirate, I don't see why man in clown paint would be so much worse.

Why don't you actually go and read the IMDB for parents guidelines so you know what you're talking about before you state that the only problem with the film is a "man in clown paint."

That is clearly not the disturbing element(s) in the film if reviewers are saying it really should have gotten an R. I'm not going to list everything here, you should research what it actually contains before you debate about it's appropriateness.

[Yurka]

lol great point, ive seen much worse things on disney movies then on any batman movie, explain why they allways kill the mother off, and remember on disneys taran when the bad guy gets hung by the vines, and bambi when the mom gets shot, and what about the end of potc 3 were will was going down on elizabeth, well kinda he kissed her leg.

I highly doubt you'll be able to make this statement after you see TDK.

[BatmanFanatic]

meh i sat next to a kid who was probably no more than 8 years old when i saw rob zombie's halloween on opening night, times have changed, they can handle it

Times change but human development does not. Do you know anything about developmental psychology? Kids don't even understand the difference between reality and fantasy until they are about 5 years old. They don't even have the brain capacity to tell a lie because that is "too advanced" for them. At 8 years old they have only spent one year in school with other children socializing every day, learning to understand proper human behavior and empathy. You think at that age they should be spending their time watching disturbing horror movies?

[TheBatman072]

Why don't you actually go and read the IMDB for parents guidelines so you know what you're talking about before you state that the only problem with the film is a "man in clown paint."

That is clearly not the disturbing element(s) in the film if reviewers are saying it really should have gotten an R. I'm not going to list everything here, you should research what it actually contains before you debate about it's appropriateness.


Hey, who's as excited as I am to see Batman and Robin 2: Neon Boogaloo!?

[Dr.Omega]

i say blame their parents, like the other posters said kids are seeing these films regardless anyway so what if its too dark for kids

[BatmanFanatic]

Too Dark for kids? No.

Why? Most kids on the Under the age of 13 have seen more disturbing things and more sexual referecne in films. For one my 10 year old cousin is Hyped like a MotherFf***** and his mom may or may not let him see this movie. And I told her "Well lets see he's seen Texas Chainsaw Massace, American Phyco, Superbad,Halloween, and all of them are rated R n The Dark Knight is rrated PG-13 :huh: So basically I conviced her to let him see The Dark Knight"

And if your kids get scared. Well......Go watch Batman and Robin :yay:

Who the HELL let him see those types of movies before the age of 10?

Do these parents just throw their children out to the wolves and then make them sign up for the army on their 18th birthday so they can be rid of them once and for all? WTF. I don't think films containing very graphic, mixed messages about sex and violence like TCM and American Psycho are appropriate for someone who is still a virgin and yet to have any meaningful experiences with the opposite sex, do you? Maybe the kid should learn about NORMAL relationships first before delving into the torture and kill the women movies? Or maybe I'm assuming to much, is the 10 year old perhaps NOT a virgin? Parents renting hookers for the kid already, you know, so he doesn't "become a homosexual"?

I swear to god there is something seriously wrong with this country.

[DSET]

some idiotic comments going on in here, Im not even gonna bother arguing, Im just gonna state my point and leave it at that

The violence that these kids inflict is because their parents arent caring or smart enough to teach them better, if you parent your children well enough they can play GTA and all sorts of crap from whatever age they choose.
That plus a hard up-briging be it tramatic events or constant loneliness and bullying is what sometimes triggers mental problems from an early age. But most of the times its just the combination of the mental disease that some are born with plus troublesome events that causes some1 to be pushed over the edge.
The media like to overexpose what VGs and movies effects on youth are, fact is its 99.9% of the time its bad parenting plus either mental disease from birth or one caused by constant hard or tramautic events usually in their childhoor.
if theres anything that can be fixed for these individuals its society and parenting everything else is merely out of our control.

[nickyg641]

Why don't you actually go and read the IMDB for parents guidelines so you know what you're talking about before you state that the only problem with the film is a "man in clown paint."

That is clearly not the disturbing element(s) in the film if reviewers are saying it really should have gotten an R. I'm not going to list everything here, you should research what it actually contains before you debate about it's appropriateness.
The "Parent's Guide", right? I read it. Nothing particularly objectionable. No sex and nudity, some violence, and the Joker's performance itself is scary. If that guide is anything to go by, older kids (older as in, like, 9 or 10) shouldn't really freak out. Of course, for those of us who haven't seen the movie (pretty much everybody here), it's pretty pointless arguing this, as we have no idea until we've seen it ourselves.

[BatmanFanatic]

At best, all it has done is desensitize us from becoming aware of how troublesome these images may be to others.

And one of the reasons this is a problem is that you have lost the ability to empathize with someone who has been traumatized by violence because you can't understand "what the big deal is." I mean, do you look at pictures of the war, where corpses are being eaten by stray dogs and say "I don't get what the big deal is, I can handle it" and if so, does this then effect your outlook on how "bad" war is, because it doesn't effect/traumatize you the way it does others?

These are the kinds of social ripples I am talking about when it comes to massive amounts of violence in the media. Real life war, and real life torture DOES NOT EFFECT OR SHOCK US anymore. And that is a sad, sad, F***ed up thing which exemplifies how we as a country/culture have lost a huge piece of our humanity.

[SPIDERMAN117]

Who the HELL let him see those types of movies before the age of 10?

Do these parents just throw their children out to the wolves and then make them sign up for the army on their 18th birthday so they can be rid of them once and for all? WTF. I don't think films containing very graphic, mixed messages about sex and violence like TCM and American Psycho are appropriate for someone who is still a virgin and yet to have any meaningful experiences with the opposite sex, do you? Maybe the kid should learn about NORMAL relationships first before delving into the torture and kill the women movies? Or maybe I'm assuming to much, is the 10 year old perhaps NOT a virgin? Parents renting hookers for the kid already, you know, so he doesn't "become a homosexual"?

I swear to god there is something seriously wrong with this country.
Exacly what I mean. If fhe can see films with all that crap why cant he see a film like The Dark Knight :huh:

[CrimsonDeath]

All these Saw and Hostel movies, and torture porn and all the rest of that garbage is why we now have people in our army in Iraq torturing little children in front of their parents, and back home we're arguing about whether or not that is okay.


I think you have that backwards.... it's because we have people like that that we have those kinds of movies. People really need to take responsibility for themselves and their actions, and just because they are disentisized doesn't mean people will do something that wasn't already in them anyway.

What you are talking about is really people rotten in their core anyway, which is brought out by circumstance and their actions and choices.

So, I propose to test the very essence and soul of all children who want to see the Dark Knight and those with rotten dispositions can take a hike instead.

Also, I propose that those children with a good essence be allowed to see the Dark Knight, but we must then prevent circumstances for the rest of their real lives from corrupting them..... And how the hell are we going to do all that?

We can't trivialize these issues by blaming the symptoms for the cause of society's ill...

[Commodore Schmidlapp]

Who the HELL let him see those types of movies before the age of 10?

Do these parents just throw their children out to the wolves and then make them sign up for the army on their 18th birthday so they can be rid of them once and for all? WTF. I don't think films containing very graphic, mixed messages about sex and violence like TCM and American Psycho are appropriate for someone who is still a virgin and yet to have any meaningful experiences with the opposite sex, do you? Maybe the kid should learn about NORMAL relationships first before delving into the torture and kill the women movies? Or maybe I'm assuming to much, is the 10 year old perhaps NOT a virgin? Parents renting hookers for the kid already, you know, so he doesn't "become a homosexual"?

I swear to god there is something seriously wrong with this country.
Wow, if I was the dude you replied to I'd be quite offended, you are quite naive, do you have any children?

[nickyg641]

Who the HELL let him see those types of movies before the age of 10?

Do these parents just throw their children out to the wolves and then make them sign up for the army on their 18th birthday so they can be rid of them once and for all? WTF. I don't think films containing very graphic, mixed messages about sex and violence like TCM and American Psycho are appropriate for someone who is still a virgin and yet to have any meaningful experiences with the opposite sex, do you? Maybe the kid should learn about NORMAL relationships first before delving into the torture and kill the women movies? Or maybe I'm assuming to much, is the 10 year old perhaps NOT a virgin? Parents renting hookers for the kid already, you know, so he doesn't "become a homosexual"?

I swear to god there is something seriously wrong with this country.
Or perhaps the kid isn't semi-retarded and can distinguish between fiction and reality?

[BatmanFanatic]

i say blame their parents, like the other posters said kids are seeing these films regardless anyway so what if its too dark for kids

No, 4 and 5 year olds are not going to be "watching it anyways" because their parents are in control of them. 4 and 5 year olds don't get on the computer and bootleg rated R movies. Let's get real here. When 4 and 5 year olds are seeing freaky, graphic, and massively disturbing movies that sicken even the majority of ADULTS, like Passion, it is because THEIR PARENTS/GUARDIANS are taking them ON PURPOSE.

And that is just SICK.

[TheBatman072]

I can't remember what comedian it was, I want to say Patton Oswalt or Lewis Black, but I'm not sure.

There was a bit where he started talking about violent events like Columbine and such and how some people blame violent video games and music and movies and the like, and he started in sarcastically asking what videos Hitler was playing as a kid. Or what violent movies Gengis Khan watched when he was young.

It's better in context, and I wish I could remember who it was, but...there it is.

[BatmanFanatic]

I can't remember what comedian it was, I want to say Patton Oswalt or Lewis Black, but I'm not sure.

There was a bit where he started talking about violent events like Columbine and such and how some people blame violent video games and music and movies and the like, and he started in sarcastically asking what videos Hitler was playing as a kid. Or what violent movies Gengis Khan watched when he was young.

It's better in context, and I wish I could remember who it was, but...there it is.

I say let's not pour gasoline on the fire. There are always going to be some sociopaths in the world...why indulge their fantasies by making films like Saw and Hostel main-stream entertainment? Are there absolutely no lines that can't be crossed anymore? Are we going to have films about the joys of pedophelia and puppy-killing next, and take 5 year olds to see those, and then say "well you can't blame the films/games/tv... they're not REAL so it doesn't matter...I watched tons of pedophelia movies when I was a kid, damn it! And I'm fine!"

[Crook]

And one of the reasons this is a problem is that you have lost the ability to empathize with someone who has been traumatized by violence because you can't understand "what the big deal is." I mean, do you look at pictures of the war, where corpses are being eaten by stray dogs and say "I don't get what the big deal is, I can handle it" and if so, does this then effect your outlook on how "bad" war is, because it doesn't effect/traumatize you the way it does others?
Actually, no. Completely false.

When I see uncensored pictures/videos of the war, I don't cover my ears or look away, I can look at it with a straight face as it doesn't impact me in that way. However, I am still aware of the horrors that I am watching. It never becomes "oh, ok that's nothing wrong".

These are the kinds of social ripples I am talking about when it comes to massive amounts of violence in the media. Real life war, and real life torture DOES NOT EFFECT OR SHOCK US anymore. And that is a sad, sad, F***ed up thing which exemplifies how we as a country/culture have lost a huge piece of our humanity.
The inability to shock does not impede the ability for us to understand.

[nickyg641]

Actually, no. Completely false.

When I see uncensored pictures/videos of the war, I don't cover my ears or look away, I can look at it with a straight face as it doesn't impact me in that way. However, I am still aware of the horrors that I am watching. It never becomes "oh, ok that's nothing wrong".


The inability to shock does not impede the ability for us to understand.
Quite true, Crook. I applaud you.

[TheCardPlayer]

I can't remember what comedian it was, I want to say Patton Oswalt or Lewis Black, but I'm not sure.

There was a bit where he started talking about violent events like Columbine and such and how some people blame violent video games and music and movies and the like, and he started in sarcastically asking what videos Hitler was playing as a kid. Or what violent movies Gengis Khan watched when he was young.

It's better in context, and I wish I could remember who it was, but...there it is.I once read a magazine that explained that Jack The Ripper was visited by a man from the future who gave him an old Pentium and a copy of Daikatana which explained his murderous rage.

[BatmanFanatic]

Actually, no. Completely false.

When I see uncensored pictures/videos of the war, I don't cover my ears or look away, I can look at it with a straight face as it doesn't impact me in that way. However, I am still aware of the horrors that I am watching. It never becomes "oh, ok that's nothing wrong".


The inability to shock does not impede the ability for us to understand.


There is a world of difference between intellectual "understanding" and EMPATHY. If you can't cry with the widow or the mother who's loved one was shredded by a bomb, but you just tell her "oh I understand it's all very horrible" that does not comfort. That does not heal. And that does not stop the violence... the violence stops when people can be revolted, and emotionally hurt, and cry and feel pain and decide that it's not about words and mind games but about horrible, horrible FEELINGS... and their are so hurt that they don't want to go on with the killing anymore.

That is how peace actually happens. Not because someone has an intellectual understanding and decides that we'll just write "peace treaty" on a sheet of paper and have all the leaders sign it. Peace happens when people are able to feel traumatized because they have not yet been so decensitized to all the horrors that nothing can shake them out of their little world.

[Commodore Schmidlapp]

I once read a magazine that explained that Jack The Ripper was visited by a man from the future who gave him an old Pentium and a copy of Daikatana which explained his murderous rage.
:lmao:

[TheBatman072]

There are always going to be some sociopaths in the world...

You're right. EVEN if all our movies and video games and tv shows feature cuddly bunnies and rainbows and butterflies. There will ALWAYS be someone out there who wants to decapitate the bunny, piss on the rainbow, and rip the wings off the butterfly. There have been sick, demented people even before movies like Hostel and Saw. Stopping those movies and such, which would mean censoring artists like film directors and video game designers, wouldn't do anything at all. And censorship, especially unnecessary and superfluous censorship, is a horrible ****ing thing.

Are there absolutely no lines that can't be crossed anymore?

What lines are you talking about? The lines where a parent should be held responsible for what their child views, becuase their child is THEIR ****ing responsibility? And NOT the filmmakers and video game people and etc.?

If the child views something that's "too much" for them, that's the parent's fault. Not the person who made the thing that the child viewed.


Are we going to have films about the joys of pedophelia and puppy-killing next, and take 5 year olds to see those, and then say "well you can't blame the films/games/tv... they're not REAL so it doesn't matter...I watched tons of pedophelia movies when I was a kid, damn it! And I'm fine!"


This statement is just incredibly silly and doesn't deserve a serious response.

[DSET]

I once read a magazine that explained that Jack The Ripper was visited by a man from the future who gave him an old Pentium and a copy of Daikatana which explained his murderous rage.

loooooool:hehe::hehe:
that gamed SucKed

[TheBatman072]

I once read a magazine that explained that Jack The Ripper was visited by a man from the future who gave him an old Pentium and a copy of Daikatana which explained his murderous rage.


Never mind getting the chance to kill Hitler, we should kill the douche who gave him a copy of Mortal Kombat!

[Dr.Omega]

:o ok i lost track of what the bat fanatic is trying to prove here.

[Hole Shot]

And one of the reasons this is a problem is that you have lost the ability to empathize with someone who has been traumatized by violence because you can't understand "what the big deal is." I mean, do you look at pictures of the war, where corpses are being eaten by stray dogs and say "I don't get what the big deal is, I can handle it" and if so, does this then effect your outlook on how "bad" war is, because it doesn't effect/traumatize you the way it does others


Actually most people on the Internet watch violent movies and play games like Medal of Honor and GTA, but they still all tend to be pansy liberals that believe war is bad.

On the other hand, my best friend won't let his kids watch ANYTHING that has a hint of violence or own a video game system or even let them eat junk food. But he's like waaaaaaaaaaay whacky right wing and writes op-eds and asked to do public speaking enagements in support of blowing **** up overseas. And I know what you're thinking, but he's actually not very religious either.

Go figure.

[TheBatman072]

Actually most people on the Internet watch violent movies and play games like Medal of Honor and GTA, but they still all tend to be pansy liberals that believe war is bad.

On the other hand, my best friend won't let his kids watch ANYTHING that has a hint of violence or own a video game system or even let them eat junk food. But he's like waaaaaaaaaaay whacky right wing and writes op-eds and asked to do public speaking enagements in support of blowing **** up overseas.

Go figure.


America! **** yeah!

[nickyg641]

There is a world of difference between intellectual "understanding" and EMPATHY. If you can't cry with the widow or the mother who's loved one was shredded by a bomb, but you just tell her "oh I understand it's all very horrible" that does not comfort. That does not heal. And that does not stop the violence... the violence stops when people can be revolted, and emotionally hurt, and cry and feel pain and decide that it's not about words and mind games but about horrible, horrible FEELINGS... and their are so hurt that they don't want to go on with the killing anymore.

That is how peace actually happens. Not because someone has an intellectual understanding and decides that we'll just write "peace treaty" on a sheet of paper and have all the leaders sign it. Peace happens when people are able to feel traumatized because they have not yet been so decensitized to all the horrors that nothing can shake them out of their little world.
Except you can't chide Patrick Bateman for his murders. You can't comfort the widow of the cop that the Joker killed. Because they don't exist.

But that doesn't mean you can't understand what you're seeing is wrong, and that doesn't mean you're going to be apathatic towards real world happenings. See, that's where people go wrong. They assume that if you aren't vomiting at the gore you see in the movies, you're going to be just as uncaring and unsympathetic when you see real tragedies.

I'll tell you, I watched a Clockwork Orange, I saw The Silence of the Lambs. But I still broke down at my grandfather's funeral, and I still recognize and empathise with the victims of real-life tragedies.

[BatmanFanatic]

This statement is just incredibly silly and doesn't deserve a serious response.

It's an exact copy of the statement that several people have been making, only replacing one horrible thing (graphic violence) with another horrible thing (pedophelia.) I'm bringing up the point, why one horrible disgusting thing is apparently okay for children because "I saw it, and look at me I'm FINE!" and another horrible disgusting thing is still considered, appropriately, horrible and disgusting. I mean, who decided that watching people's heads explode with slow motion sniper bullet impacts on the big screen was okay material for our society to be entertained with, let alone 5 year olds?

I agree that parents should be watching the kids... but obviously THEY ARE NOT. And in the absence of parents not watching their kids, I think the guidelines should be a lot harsher. I think NO KIDS should be let into rated R movies, with parent or without parent. If you're obsessed with forcing your children to watch rated R movies do it in your own damn home. Because I'm sick of being disturbed by the very fact that there is a 6 year old in the seat in front of me watching this nasty **** and their mom and dad think it's okay. It should have been a crime for those kids to see Passion, or Saw or Hostel, etc.

[Hole Shot]

America! **** yeah!

Coming your way to save the mother ******* day!

[Crook]

There is a world of difference between intellectual "understanding" and EMPATHY.
No. There isn't. They are exactly the same thing. Unless you can provide with a vast differentiating factor that somehow separate the two.


If you can't cry with the widow or the mother who's loved one was shredded by a bomb, but you just tell her "oh I understand it's all very horrible" that does not comfort.
I'm not talking about comforting others. Simply the understanding of why people react to certain things that I wouldn't necessarily do in the same fashion.

If I do not know them, then regardless of what tragedy befell that family, I will not cry. It's not personal. And if I did, there is no unwritten rule that says I have to sob and provide a shoulder in order to understand the ordeal. That's just ridiculous. People emote in varying degrees.

That does not heal. And that does not stop the violence... the violence stops when people can be revolted, and emotionally hurt, and cry and feel pain and decide that it's not about words and mind games but about horrible, horrible FEELINGS... and their are so hurt that they don't want to go on with the killing anymore.

That is how peace actually happens. Not because someone has an intellectual understanding and decides that we'll just write "peace treaty" on a sheet of paper and have all the leaders sign it. Peace happens when people are able to feel traumatized because they have not yet been so decensitized to all the horrors that nothing can shake them out of their little world.
1) A peaceful world is never going to exist, so that particular point is moot.

2) Just because some people put on a "straight" facade, it does not mean they are incapable of feeling.

3) Violence stops when.....the act of violence stops. Period. There is no need for an emotional journey to do this. For example, a grudge can be ended on agreeable terms, but that does not have to entail a friendly discourse.

[BatmanFanatic]

Except you chide Patrick Bateman for his murders. You can't comfort the widow of the cop that the Joker killed. Because they don't exist.

But that doesn't mean you can't understand what you're seeing is wrong, and that doesn't mean you're going to be apathatic towards real world happenings. See, that's where people go wrong. They assume that if you aren't vomiting at the gore you see in the movies, you're going to be just as uncaring and unsympathetic when you see real tragedies.

I'll tell you, I watched a Clockwork Orange, I saw The Silence of the Lambs. But I still broke down at my grandfather's funeral, and I still recognize and empathise with the victims of real-life tragedies.

I was responding to Crooks statement, not to your life experiences.

Crook said that he is not at all disturbed by the raw images of the war, corpses being eaten by dogs in the street, etc, but he can "understand" its wrong, even if it doesn't emotionally upset him.

To me that is a huge and fatal disconnect. And this is the real world we are talking about here, not someone Joker killed. You can't come up to someone who is a victim of war crimes or someone who has seen their children be tortured in front of them at an American detainment camp and tell them that while the "images don't disturb you, you understand they have been wronged."

You don't understand until you feel the pain, you can't possibly understand unless you are capable of emotional empathy at some level. It's like claiming that while you have never been in love, you "understand" it's a good thing. Or that divorce or having a parent die is a bad thing. No, you don't understand at all until it happens to you, because only when it happens to you will you FEEL it.

[Hole Shot]

OH! And another thing! I'm not going to get into this if you take your kids to see The Dark Knight, they're going to drive a semi-truck into their school gym one day argument.

What I will say is this, I know when I was little I was scared ****less of clowns because of movies like poltergeist. Dude, I still hate clowns. Not as much as mimes but that's for different reasons. Anyways, if that stupid doll that tried pulling Robbie under the bed screwed me up, imagine what Joker is going to do to little kids?! Damn...THIS MOVIE IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!

[deathfromabove]

Personally I'm disturbed by people cheerfully saying they're going to take 4,5, yr olds etc to the film in this thread. WTF is wrong with you people?

Mori said they should be 14 or older, as did IMDB. Even if you have a "really mature kid" I would say 12 is a minimum then.

If you understand anything about child developmental psychology, you really can't be a "very mature for your age" 7 year old, I'm sorry. Your brain is not grown up yet. You're going to get nightmares, PTSD after being exposed to traumatic violent images. And if you see enough traumatic violent images as a child, you're going to grow up desencitized (sp?) to the point of no longer having a healthy respect for non-violence and compassion towards others.

All these Saw and Hostel movies, and torture porn and all the rest of that garbage is why we now have people in our army in Iraq torturing little children in front of their parents, and back home we're arguing about whether or not that is okay. I mean... this is something that its possible to even ARGUE IF ITS OKAY OR NOT???? Why is that I wonder? Well, torture is so damn cool in the movies everyone. Whats the "big deal" if it happens in real life.

Bottom line is glorifying sick violence on a massive scale in the US has created a lot of f***ing IDIOTS and sociopaths. People who get off on making little kids see disturbing movies so they can "toughen up" and "not become homosexuals." Parents like that should be LOCKED UP. Including every last bastard that took a grade-school-age child to see Passion OTC. :cmad:

so my son's treachers were blowing smoke up my ass all these years by telling me my son was mature for his age?

i agree about the freaks that took young children to passion of the christ but thats about it.

horrific circumstances led to torture in iraq not movies. thats just naieve and reactionary. what movies were hitler and the third reich watching? what movies led to all the rape and torture in vietnam? what films was de sade watching?

and why do you seem so hell bent on pinning this on american cinema? ever seen any italian horror from the 70's? and asian cinema is way sicker. two of the most horrific movies involving torture and rape i have ever seen were french and austrian.

these types of films are more akin to a pressure release valve. they allow society to engage in these sorts of behaviour vicariously and in a safe way. if violence in film was in any way directly responsible for violence in society we would all be living in demilitarized zones. but we are not. fact of the matter, we are living in perhaps the least violent time in human history. just because the media likes to dwell on all he horrible things that happen does not mean times are worse all around. families used to watch public hangings for enterTAINment.

I "blame" violence for creating more violence, however it goes around, what goes around comes around.

Obviously not every kid playing video games is going to turn into a murdering freak, but if there were no films which glorified violence, tv shows which glorified violence, or video games which glorified violence, I doubt the kids who did those things would even know how to hold a gun. Our culture is teaching us that "violence is cool" and "violence solves all the problems in 2 hours or less" and I think that is a problem, especially for younger children who are not yet developed enough to distinguish reality from fantasy.

again you are clearly not a parent. blaming marilyn manson and doom for school shootings is going to lead to more school shootings, not less.

now if you want to talk about how these kids can so easily aquire automatic weapons i am likely to agree but blaming violent media for violence is way oversimplifying the problem.

Times change but human development does not. Do you know anything about developmental psychology? Kids don't even understand the difference between reality and fantasy until they are about 5 years old. They don't even have the brain capacity to tell a lie because that is "too advanced" for them. At 8 years old they have only spent one year in school with other children socializing every day, learning to understand proper human behavior and empathy. You think at that age they should be spending their time watching disturbing horror movies?

a five year old cannot lie? hahahahaha....i wish that were true dear. again, clearly you have not procreated.

and an eight year old has been in school for one year? huh? kindergarten is age five or six.

and im not saying certain movies are appropriate for kids. i think there is alot of apathy on the part of parents these days and i am careful with what my kids see. i would never thik of letting my son watch saw or hostel. but aliens? no problem. i think taking a 10 or eleven year old to TDK is a judgement best left to the parents of those ten or eleven year olds. not know it alls who have taken a few psych classes.

i think a bigger problem in this country is people not minding their own business.

[TheBatman072]

It's an exact copy of the statement that several people have been making, only replacing one horrible thing (graphic violence) with another horrible thing (pedophelia.) I'm bringing up the point, why one horrible disgusting thing is apparently okay for children because "I saw it, and look at me I'm FINE!" and another horrible disgusting thing is still considered, appropriately, horrible and disgusting. I mean, who decided that watching people's heads explode with slow motion sniper bullet impacts on the big screen was okay material for our society to be entertained with, let alone 5 year olds?

I agree that parents should be watching the kids... but obviously THEY ARE NOT. And in the absence of parents not watching their kids, I think the guidelines should be a lot harsher. I think NO KIDS should be let into rated R movies, with parent or without parent. If you're obsessed with forcing your children to watch rated R movies do it in your own damn home. Because I'm sick of being disturbed by the very fact that there is a 6 year old in the seat in front of me watching this nasty **** and their mom and dad think it's okay. It should have been a crime for those kids to see Passion, or Saw or Hostel, etc.


So...in order to "save the children" and halt the "cultural decline and moral decay," we have to become fascists? Becuase that's what the bits I bolded are leaning toward.

And also? Who gives a **** if you're disturbed about it or not? Is it your kid? No? Then mind your own business. Unless the parent is beating the child infront of you or you KNOW that there is abuse going on past letting their kid watch a violent movie, you have absolutely no say in how they raise their child.

And second, I know you have good intentions, but this whole "save the world and our culture and our kids from the violent media" soapbox you're standing on? It's pointless. It really is. The best you can do is do right by YOUR kid and hope it doesn't grow up to be a mass murder.

And before I forget again, I want to bring up another point. If the parents would actually get up off their asses and actually do some parenting, letting their kids watch a movie like TDK wouldn't even be an issue. If they'd talk to their kids and answer the questions and explain things out, like MY parents did, they wouldn't have to worry about anything. Tell the kid that it's just a movie and they shouldn't emulate anything from it. And as long as they know it's not real, and there's a healthy balance of spongebob or power rangers or even Batman, then there wouldn't be a problem. Teach your ****ing kids early on, when they're willing to listen. And then they'll grow up with some good morals and plenty of needed empathy.

[BatmanFanatic]

No. There isn't. They are exactly the same thing. Unless you can provide with a vast differentiating factor that somehow separate the two.

I have in my last post. You can't "understand" the feelings of a friend who is in love, unless you know how to feel love, and have been in love before. Just saying you understand on a purely intellectual level is meaningless when it comes to human experiences.

How could you possibly "understand" how bad a war is the way the people suffering through it do, if you haven't felt some of their pain? Because you're looking at facts and figures and broad-stroked ideas of right and wrong? Living in Iraq for one day would give you far more understanding because you would experience and feel something personal...this would give you true EMPATHY, which blows your current intellectual understanding out of the water. Saying that you understand something but having never felt any of it, is trivializing and insulting to the people who actually understand because of what they have felt.


I'm not talking about comforting others. Simply the understanding of why people react to certain things that I wouldn't necessarily do in the same fashion.

Alright, if you understand why people react to certain things that you wouldn't, explain why other people want to vomit when looking at human corpses being eaten by dogs but you remain unphased.

Because I'd like to understand that myself.



If I do not know them, then regardless of what tragedy befell that family, I will not cry. It's not personal. And if I did, there is no unwritten rule that says I have to sob and provide a shoulder in order to understand the ordeal. That's just ridiculous. People emote in varying degrees.

Not saying you have to do anything. But if a friend came to you in tears saying she was raped, you have to be capable of empathy, not just intellectual "understanding" or there is something wrong with you. And you can't be capable of empathy unless you actually FEEL something for her. You can't look at her coldly and say "well you know I don't actually get freaked out by that kind of stuff personally, but I can understand why someone else might, so I'm sure it was very unpleasant for you." And if that were your response you'd be failing at basic humanity.



1) A peaceful world is never going to exist, so that particular point is moot.


Who said anything about "the world." It's just as valid for a single city block caught up in a bloody gang war.


2) Just because some people put on a "straight" facade, it does not mean they are incapable of feeling.

Are you referring to yourself or someone else? And we're not really discussing all "feeling" here, just empathy with others in particular.


3) Violence stops when.....the act of violence stops. Period. There is no need for an emotional journey to do this. For example, a grudge can be ended on agreeable terms, but that does not have to entail a friendly discourse.

Acts of violence don't just stop randomly, as if there are no reasons to wars starting or ending. And yes there is a need for an emotional journey, this is how people and how humanity EVOLVES. All of life is an emotional journey, and countries go through emotional journeys too, and large groups of people learn lessons about the pain of violence and the preciousness of peace. There is a reason Germany refused to go into Iraq. In fact, there is a reason Germany has become one of the most advanced and peace loving countries in the world - and hey, it only took millions and millions slaughtered and two world wars to do it.

[Crook]

I was responding to Crooks statement, not to your life experiences.

Crook said that he is not at all disturbed by the raw images of the war, corpses being eaten by dogs in the street, etc, but he can "understand" its wrong, even if it doesn't emotionally upset him.

To me that is a huge and fatal disconnect. And this is the real world we are talking about here, not someone Joker killed. You can't come up to someone who is a victim of war crimes or someone who has seen their children be tortured in front of them at an American detainment camp and tell them that while the "images don't disturb you, you understand they have been wronged."

You don't understand until you feel the pain, you can't possibly understand unless you are capable of emotional empathy at some level. It's like claiming that while you have never been in love, you "understand" it's a good thing. Or that divorce or having a parent die is a bad thing. No, you don't understand at all until it happens to you, because only when it happens to you will you FEEL it.
Well clearly the problem here is how you've completely misconstrued the meaning of the word, "Understand". I don't have to experience or share a tragedy in order to "feel" someone else's pain. My best friend's Mom passed away a couple years back and I completely felt the emotional toll, despite not knowing his mom too well (or at all, really).

All I had to do was simply place myself in his shoes. I didn't even shed a single tear but that doesn't change how I felt inside.


And also? Who gives a **** if you're disturbed about it or not? Is it your kid? No? Then mind your own business. Unless the parent is beating the child infront of you or you KNOW that there is abuse going on past letting their kid watch a violent movie, you have absolutely no say in how they raise their child.

And second, I know you have good intentions, but this whole "save the world and our culture and our kids from the violent media" soapbox you're standing on? It's pointless. It really is. The best you can do is do right by YOUR kid and hope it doesn't grow up to be a mass murder.

And before I forget again, I want to bring up another point. If the parents would actually get up off their asses and actually do some parenting, letting their kids watch a movie like TDK wouldn't even be an issue. If they'd talk to their kids and answer the questions and explain things out, like MY parents did, they wouldn't have to worry about anything. Tell the kid that it's just a movie and they shouldn't emulate anything from it. And as long as they know it's not real, and there's a healthy balance of spongebob or power rangers or even Batman, then there wouldn't be a problem. Teach your ****ing kids early on, when they're willing to listen. And then they'll grow up with some good morals and plenty of needed empathy.
To be fair in this argument, it is just as bad to place all responsibility onto parents as it is with the media. There has to be some shared liability, because there ARE several children out there with no parents or even a common guardian.

[deathfromabove]

yeah try actually parenting your children. my mom accidentally took me to see the road warrior when i was far too young to see it. after we left she explained what was going on and i was fine. i saw terminator with my parents in the theater when it came out. i was ten. i did not have nightmares. but they would not let my brother see it two years later. the knew what we could handle and they knew all kids have different sensibilities.

i am not desensitized to anything. i am very bothered by overt violence and horrific acts in real life. some are really oversimplifying the issue here.

[JokerLedger]

I hope these parents bring their little kids to watch The Dark Knight just so I can see them get freaked the hell out by The Joker :hoboj:

[BatmanFanatic]

I have to sleep now :csad: I'll see you guys tomorrow.

I'm not trying to piss anyone off, there aren't any easy solutions, I understand that, it just makes me really mad that we have degenerated into letting practically ANYTHING be okay for little children, and parents don't give a f***.

For those of you who are decent, caring parents who take an interest in your child, I'm editing this so as not to lump you into that category. It's the people who are proudly announcing they are taking 4,5,6 yr olds to this film which has been billed "amazingly not an R - but god only knows how" and are saying things like "it will toughen them up so they don't become homosexuals" are morons and wastes of space.

[Hole Shot]

I have to sleep now :csad: I'll see you guys tomorrow.

I'm not trying to piss anyone off, there aren't any easy solutions, I understand that, it just makes me really mad that we have degenerated into letting practically ANYTHING be okay for little children, and parents don't give a f***.

I hear ya my friends let their kids watch this show on PBS Kids called Caillou and I have to put it on for them whenever I babysit. Let me tell you that cartoon is F'ING ANNOYING and makes we want commit acts violence upon childrens television programmers whenever I watch it.:cmad:

[nickyg641]

I have to sleep now :csad: I'll see you guys tomorrow.

I'm not trying to piss anyone off, there aren't any easy solutions, I understand that, it just makes me really mad that we have degenerated into letting practically ANYTHING be okay for little children, and parents don't give a f***.

For those of you who are decent, caring parents who take an interest in your child, I'm editing this so as not to lump you into that category. It's the people who are proudly announcing they are taking 4,5,6 yr olds to this film which has been billed "amazingly not an R - but god only knows how" and are saying things like "it will toughen them up so they don't become homosexuals" are morons and wastes of space.
I agree with you there. This isn't a movie for 5 and 6 and 7 year olds. And I don't see why a parent would take their kid at that age to an "R"-rated movie, or a movie with blatent sexual or violent themes. But older children, 9 and 10 and up, can deal with more in a movie than some parents would like to think. At that age, they can distinguish between fiction and what isn't.

[hpwiz89]

Well I have a little brother who is 5 years old and loves batman and I'm still debating if I should take him since it looks like the movie is boderline PG-13. I know for sure if I don't take him he will have a fit or something.

[Crook]

I have in my last post. You can't "understand" the feelings of a friend who is in love, unless you know how to feel love, and have been in love before. Just saying you understand on a purely intellectual level is meaningless when it comes to human experiences.
How could you possibly "understand" how bad a war is the way the people suffering through it do, if you haven't felt some of their pain? Because you're looking at facts and figures and broad-stroked ideas of right and wrong? Living in Iraq for one day would give you far more understanding because you would experience and feel something personal...this would give you true EMPATHY, which blows your current intellectual understanding out of the water.
Well obviously nothing compares to a personal experience. On individual terms however, the understanding is still there. Just on different levels.

Saying that you understand something but having never felt any of it, is trivializing and insulting to the people who actually understand because of what they have felt.
No, saying you understand something out of gracious courtesy, is trivializing and insulting. Saying it out of sincerity is not. Check my previous post for an example out of my own life, and I'd like to see you question just how sincere I was with my best friend.


Alright, if you understand why people react to certain things that you wouldn't, explain why other people want to vomit when looking at human corpses being eaten by dogs but you remain unphased.
Because just a few years ago, I would be vomiting and looking away just as they are. It's not hard to see why people would react to gross images. I've just grown up to seeing certain things to the point where I'm used to it.

Not saying you have to do anything. But if a friend came to you in tears saying she was raped, you have to be capable of empathy, not just intellectual "understanding" or there is something wrong with you. And you can't be capable of empathy unless you actually FEEL something for her. You can't look at her coldly and say "well you know I don't actually get freaked out by that kind of stuff personally, but I can understand why someone else might, so I'm sure it was very unpleasant for you." And if that were your response you'd be failing at basic humanity.
I don't see anything here that isn't painfully obvious to any human being. I'm tempted to say "well...DUH", but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here.

I've already responded that unless I have a personal connection with said person, no emotional impact will likely fall upon me. Or I should say, not as much. If both my sister and a random friend of hers had been raped, I would naturally gravitate towards my sister in terms of emotional attachment. But does that mean I don't care at all for her friend, just because I don't have a personal or close relationship with her? Not in the least.


Are you referring to yourself or someone else? And we're not really discussing all "feeling" here, just empathy with others in particular.

I'm speaking for myself. But it applies to others like me, I'm sure.

Acts of violence don't just stop randomly, as if there are no reasons to wars starting or ending.
I never stated this. I suggested that things don't have to end on friendly terms for things to end. It's not a necessary step. It may make for some troubled circumstances in the future, but at that point in time, it is not integral to halting the violence.

[TNC9852002]

I WISH I saw more R rated movies when I was a kid.. :(

-TNC

[ironwez20]

im sure the dark knight isnt that bad right, it cant be worse then hostel i mean this is a batman movie. dont flame me for this guys but i heard the reason heath commited suicide was because of the drastic things he had to do as the joker which i think is completely false

[CaptainClown]

I WISH I saw more R rated movies when I was a kid.. :(

-TNC
why? Do you get some super power if you do?
im sure the dark knight isnt that bad right, it cant be worse then hostel i mean this is a batman movie. dont flame me for this guys but i heard the reason heath commited suicide was because of the drastic things he had to do as the joker which i think is completely false
Well I am pretty sure he didn't commit suicide and if he did then its for whatever reasons he had. Why does it matter anyway, whats done is done..

[CaptainClown]

Well I have a little brother who is 5 years old and loves batman and I'm still debating if I should take him since it looks like the movie is boderline PG-13. I know for sure if I don't take him he will have a fit or something.
watch the movie then decide.

[requiett]

I saw Robocop when I was 6. Loved it.

[SonikDeath]

I remember watching edward scissorhands, scared the crap outta me. Stabs you when he gives you a hug. :D

[Bat-Mite]

im sure the dark knight isnt that bad right, it cant be worse then hostel i mean this is a batman movie. dont flame me for this guys but i heard the reason heath commited suicide was because of the drastic things he had to do as the joker which i think is completely falseHe didn't commit suicide. The doctors had him on too many medications for one thing, and he accidentally took more than he should have (probably because he'd forgotten that he'd already taken one of the pills). If it were intentional, there would have been a lot more drugs in his system, and he loved his daughter to death, so he had no reason to kill himself.

[ironwez20]

ok then just wanted to know

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I saw Robocop when I was 6. Loved it.

so did I, around the age of 5, that movies amazing! haha

[NEONINJA007]

If your kids can get throught A Nightmare On Elm Street then I would assume that The Dark Knight would pose no serious issues for them. Thats what to do, I shall call it the scary bogey man test. Let me know if you have any success.

[Halloween]

I'm taking my 10 year old neice. haha.

[BDS23420]

haha same here

I've watched R-rated movies my whole life and I turned out fine...

[Halloween]

To the midnight show. bwahahaha

[Commodore Schmidlapp]

I saw the Exorcist for the first time when I was 4

[jtfaria]

A PENCIL
thats wats gonna stop em
youll see I'll show ya:hehe:

In this film, the pencil is mightier than the sword.

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I saw the Exorcist for the first time when I was 4

NOW that is NUTS! If I do say so myself

[starscream]

o i saw nightmare on elm street and i was way to young :P

dont think the joker is to scary.

but i wonder how two-face and if he will scare people.
and if you see his face on imax :D

[Nivek]

I saw the Exorcist for the first time when I was 4


And it keeps getting funnier, every time you see it.... Right? Right?

[turtlefocker]

why would you think 11 year olds in the 80's would be more timid than 11 year olds now? You act like the 80's we're like the 50's or something.

why would you think 11 year olds in the 50's would be more timid than 11 year olds in the 80's? You act like the 50's we're like the 30's or something...

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

why would you think 11 year olds in the 50's would be more timid than 11 year olds now? You act like the 50's we're like the 30's or something...

lol are you having fun yet? My point was that the 50's were a very sheltered time for kids, very unlike the 80's!!

[Obsidian]

This whole thing cracks me up, the whole "I saw this and that movie when I was young and I turned out fine" as justification for taking a child to see an intense PG-13 movie.

[turtlefocker]

This whole thing cracks me up, the whole "I saw this and that movie when I was young and I turned out fine" as justification for taking a child to see an intense PG-13 movie.


I suppose we could have the opposite - 'I saw this movie when I was a kid and I kill people and use their skin to make lampshades'

[BatmanFanatic]

This whole thing cracks me up, the whole "I saw this and that movie when I was young and I turned out fine" as justification for taking a child to see an intense PG-13 movie.

Yes, now the argument for taking tiny children to a borderline R movie has become "I'm so tough, I saw XYZ when I was in diapers! Therefore, let all the kindergardenrs in to see TDK! Muauahahah!"

WTF. You're not extra cool if you saw horrific movies at a ridiculously young age.

[turtlefocker]

WTF. You're not extra cool if you saw horrific movies at a ridiculously young age.

Wrong again. I am cool.

[BatmanFanatic]

I suppose we coudl haev the opposite - 'I saw this movie when I was a kid and I kill people and use their skin to make lampshades'

Or we could have people saying that some good parenting and a dose of censorship when they were kids was positive for them. For instance, I didn't see rated R movies until I was about 15 or so. I don't feel that I have "missed out" on anything, and there are still some films I wont see because of graphic content because I don't like watching that sort of thing. I also think it depends hugely on content and message... a movie like Shindlers List being rated R is nothing like a torture porn movie that is rated R. If a 13 year old for instance watches Shindlers List they are going to learn valuable life lessons. But they're not going to grow as a human being after watching Saw, Hostel, etc.

[Obsidian]

I suppose we could have the opposite - 'I saw this movie when I was a kid and I kill people and use their skin to make lampshades'

then there's the middle ground where it has a lasting effect, but not as extreme as turning the kid into a raging monster

[BatmanFanatic]

Exactly, like a few nights of nightmares. Why do that to a kid? That isn't fun.

then there's the middle ground where it has a lasting effect, but not as extreme as turning the kid into a raging monster

[IrishFightin]

I've got to say, this movie will impress people under 16 about as much as Schindlers List would. Yes there are awesome action sequences, however the dialogue and performances are much better then the action. I like to compare Cartoon Batman/TDK to Barney/Death to smoochy. Just because they compare, doesnt mean they dont (severely) contrast. If you think it's appropriate for a 5 or 8 year old to see a pencil disappear into a human head then by all means, TAKE THEM!

The ten dollars is nothing compared to the thousand you'll be shelling out in therapy.

[weezerspider]

I also think it depends hugely on content and message... a movie like Shindlers List being rated R is nothing like a torture porn movie that is rated R. If a 13 year old for instance watches Shindlers List they are going to learn valuable life lessons. But they're not going to grow as a human being after watching Saw, Hostel, etc.


Agreed. I saw Saving Private Ryan in elementary school, because my parents wanted me to know and respect those who fought for this country. A lesson that some people still need to learn.:o

[sandmjuggalos]

Ok. My wife and I, will be taking our 3 yr. old to see TDK. (hold the flames) This is our decision as parents according to our own child's personality and general mentality. All children are different, just as all people are different. Our son LOVES the Joker in TDK as well as the cartoons. He watches the animated stuff all the time. When he saw Mr. J for the first time in the trailer he was totally excited. He isn't scared of him at all. (this from a toddler who owns the Halloween DVD) IMO, it's all personal preference. I will not lie to my child and hide his eyes just to keep up with the Jones's, so to speak. If he decides he wants to see the movie, I will let him. If he gets scared or violent about it, we will deal with that situation when it arises. It has nothing to do with the movies and such YOU saw as a child, but if YOU, as a parent, are willing to teach your child that it's not real and just a story, or just hide them from it because you don't want to make the effort to explain. Again, this is my opinion. Take it for what you will.

[turtlefocker]

Ok. My wife and I, will be taking our 3 yr. old to see TDK.


:lmao:

[sandmjuggalos]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BatmanFanatic
If a 13 year old for instance watches Shindlers List they are going to learn valuable life lessons. But they're not going to grow as a human being after watching Saw, Hostel, etc.

The way I see it, movies and such aren't really for learning "life lessons". That is a parents job. And to say that even a 13 yr. old will not grow as a human being after watching things like Saw, Hostel etc., is just well.... a poor choice of words. Be it SL or Saw, if you have already instilled values and morals in your child, there shouldn't be a problem.

Turtlefocker: And that is funny....how?

[Obsidian]

Ok. My wife and I, will be taking our 3 yr. old to see TDK. (hold the flames) This is our decision as parents according to our own child's personality and general mentality. All children are different, just as all people are different. Our son LOVES the Joker in TDK as well as the cartoons. He watches the animated stuff all the time. When he saw Mr. J for the first time in the trailer he was totally excited. He isn't scared of him at all. (this from a toddler who owns the Halloween DVD) IMO, it's all personal preference. I will not lie to my child and hide his eyes just to keep up with the Jones's, so to speak. If he decides he wants to see the movie, I will let him. If he gets scared or violent about it, we will deal with that situation when it arises. It has nothing to do with the movies and such YOU saw as a child, but if YOU, as a parent, are willing to teach your child that it's not real and just a story, or just hide them from it because you don't want to make the effort to explain. Again, this is my opinion. Take it for what you will.

well isn't that lovely. Forget gradual development, let everything hit the kid straight on

http://forums.superherohype.com/images/smilies/6jwk55l.gif

[Crook]

I'm really not seeing the big deal there. We still have to wait until the film, but I can't possibly imagine TDK will be in any way remotely close to the type of movie that scars or traumatizes children.

[sandmjuggalos]

See, that's the problem these days, everyone alwayas thinks that THEY are the better parent and they can raise your child better than you because they have a different outlook on life. I will bow back out of this discussion due to the lack of intelligence that frequents these boards so often. Have a Bat-tastic day!

[turtlefocker]

Turtlefocker: And that is funny....how?

http://listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/funny-sign1-tm.jpg

[sandmjuggalos]

http://listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/funny-sign1-tm.jpg

Oh, I see! That's makes perfect sense! :whatever::whatever::whatever:

[weezerspider]

I'm really not seeing the big deal there. We still have to wait until the film, but I can't possibly imagine TDK will be in any way remotely close to the type of movie that scars or traumatizes children.

Yeah my friend(theater manager) saw it during a private screening and he said that the whole "it should have been rated R"thing was blown way out of porportion. He said the Pencil scene was the only thing that was R like.

[turtlefocker]

Oh, I see! That's makes perfect sense! :whatever::whatever::whatever:


Thats how funny your absurd statment was. http://www.superherohype.com/forums/images/smilies/icon14.gif

[Obsidian]

It all boils down to what's in the best interest of the child. Would it be best for the child at a young age to watch a movie like that, or would it be better to wait until the child is older and understands more. Now it is understandable due to a sense of nostalgia and love for the character, that some would like to take their child to see Batman on the big screen. The effects on a child can vary and don't have to be such extremes like "becoming a psychotic murderer". They can be slight changes in behavior. If one chooses to take their young kid regardless of the advice others give, it is their choice. They'll have to live with the consequences of those choices and so will the kid.

[sandmjuggalos]

Not really.

And absurd how? I suppose i'm about to get Tipper Gore'd to death.

Edit: I agree with Obsidian except for the changes in behavior. If behavior changes, it is up to you as a parent to address that and makes choices accordingly. The most extreme behavior change he has ever had from an outside stimulus, is due to his grandmother (my mother-in-law) and which is NOT a good thing. And we've had to deal with it the same.

[Bubastis]

Quote:
Originally Posted by BatmanFanatic
If a 13 year old for instance watches Shindlers List they are going to learn valuable life lessons. But they're not going to grow as a human being after watching Saw, Hostel, etc.

The way I see it, movies and such aren't really for learning "life lessons". That is a parents job. And to say that even a 13 yr. old will not grow as a human being after watching things like Saw, Hostel etc., is just well.... a poor choice of words. Be it SL or Saw, if you have already instilled values and morals in your child, there shouldn't be a problem.

Turtlefocker: And that is funny....how?

Are you a juggalo like you name implies? and If so, what else does that entail letting your child do?

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

either way its still upto the parents themselves to decide what their children are ready to see or not. Personally Im not sure If I would allow my child (If I was a parent) to go see this film or not.

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

is the term "juggalo" really coming onto these boards, are you serious? lol

[Nivek]

Yeah, bring a 3 year old to a highly anticipated, packed full PG-13 flick. Not only are you a cool parent to your child, I'm sure your fellow audience will appreciate his presence.

:whatever:

[bane]

I hate it when parents bring their little kids with them, there was even 1 kid during the BB premiere that asked his mother "Why are they showing this scene again, i already saw it?" refering to the flashback scene at the end of BB!Wanted to beat the **** out of that parent, the kid wouldn't understand anything from the movie, it's just gonna watch scenes, why bring it?
Oh and kids are always annoying in thaters!

[Nivek]

Who brings a kid younger than 5 anyway? Bad parents who dont want to hassle with a sitter, or *gasp* cant wait for it to come out on DVD.

Seriously, how the hell is a three year old going to appreciate seeing TDK in a crowded theater?

[turtlefocker]

This poster is too dark for children under 4...

http://www.whysoserious.com/stupidbats/images/stupidbats_a.jpg

and a three year old is going to bored in this movie.

[bonesawmcgraw]

is the term "juggalo" really coming onto these boards, are you serious? lol

LOL "Juggalo"

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

This poster is too dark for children under 4...

http://www.whysoserious.com/stupidbats/images/stupidbats_a.jpg

and a three year old is going to bored in this movie.

this poster is amazing, where did this come from?

[turtlefocker]

some viral thing I saw it on the jow forums... we have a thread on it in the non-spoilers forum for it now.

[sandmjuggalos]

LOL "Juggalo"

Is this what this discussion has been reduced to? Passing judgement based on a username? We've had this username for many years and I guess it just stuck. Sue Me. Back to the topic at hand.....

I just don't see the need for all the bashing. I thought this was a thread for discussing the pros and cons of bringing younger children to see TDK and whether or not you would do so as a parent. I did not however forsee it becoming a "Hey, let's jump on this one person who doesn't agree with the majority, therefore they are a bad parent, so we should slam them for being such a scumbag." type of thread. :wow:

W O W

(insert applicable "Welcome to SHH!:pal: tag here)

[bruindanielson]

My 4 yr old is going to be the first in line at the midnight showing in portland in joker gear... Would you ever be able to forgive your dad if he didn't let you see it first hand??

[Gamingboy]

I think it'd depend on the kid. I (obviously) have yet to see the movie, but from what I've heard and read, it'll probably be safe for most kids over 11/12 and that most people under that will probably be hit or miss. I'd suggest that, for the kids in the range of 7-10, have them watch Batman '89, Mask of the Phantasm, and Batman Begins (throw in the uncut version of Return of the Joker too, if they are already familiar with Batman Beyond). If they could make it through those, not only would they have seen some damn fine movies, but they probably could make it through The Dark Knight with only minor scars.

I would have said "Show them Casino Royale, the only PG-13 movie involving genital torture", but a kid probably would fall asleep during the more talky portions of the movie.

[bruindanielson]

My son loves the movie "The Thing".. I'm sure he would be able to handle any kind of torture that The Dark Knight will bring out. He has watched Batman Begins every day for a week straight and they have alot of talking in it. He will be fine

[Jackasscoley15]

Agreed. I saw Saving Private Ryan in elementary school, because my parents wanted me to know and respect those who fought for this country. A lesson that some people still need to learn.:o

I agree. I , also, saw Saving Private Ryan in elementary school because my parents wanted me to learn the same thing. The only thing that happened to me was that I had recurring nightmares about people with their guts spilled out over the ground screaming for their mothers until I was 15. But, so what? I learned a valuable life lesson. :o

[ChrisBaleBatman]

It's supposedly the "most serious comic book film ever made".

So...that might mean it's not for kids.

No kids under 13 I'd say.

[Dark Knight]

I would suggest you watch the film first with your wife/girlfriend or your pals first before you take any under 13 or 12 year olds.

Then you can decice for yourself after viewing whether your kid should watch the film or not. If he can handle it take him to see it....if you think he can't handle it, don't let him see it for awhile.

[ironwez20]

yea well its still batman kids love batman, they will get there toys and they will get there batman shirts and underwear know matter how dark this movie is. i agree with most of you some kids in theater are soo noisy and annoying i mean im sitting in my chair watchng a movie and some litle kid ask a question so loudly, then this one little kid kept kicking my chair and started crying when venom showed up in spidey 3.

[spida-man]

i think it should be fine, i have liked batman since i was 2 years old and Batman and Batman Returns were the first movies i have ever watched.

[Changeling]

I saw American Psycho last year, when I was twelve, and now it's my favorite movie! I'd say your son would be fine because when I was his age I was seeing those kind of movies too.

[Dr.Omega]

So Why are we even having this argument, do the majority of you even have kids? OOOOH OOOOH IT SHOULD BE RATED R! THE JOKER PUT A PENCIL INTO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING! so? what are we the MPAA now pushing for a more edited Dark Knight? Its friggin PG-13 Its not like were going to be seeing blood and guts.

(btw didnt jack nicholson do the same trick with a pen in batman 89?)

[Comicbookguy339]

From Scary Movie

Cindy Campbell (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0267506/): You guys are psychos! You've seen one too many TV shows!
Ray (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0915465/): No, Cindy! Watching TV shows don't create psycho killers. Canceling TV shows creates psycho killers!

[sandmjuggalos]

So Why are we even having this argument, do the majority of you even have kids? OOOOH OOOOH IT SHOULD BE RATED R! THE JOKER PUT A PENCIL INTO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING! so? what are we the MPAA now pushing for a more edited Dark Knight? Its friggin PG-13 Its not like were going to be seeing blood and guts.

(btw didnt jack nicholson do the same trick with a pen in batman 89?)

:applaud

[jsf]

2 1/2 weeks, it seems so LONG, but not as long as it did compared to 3 years ago before we even had a sneak peak at what the Joker would look like. I can say I'm VERY excited about this film and so should EVER Batman and BB fan

[Bubastis]

Is this what this discussion has been reduced to? Passing judgement based on a username? We've had this username for many years and I guess it just stuck. Sue Me. Back to the topic at hand.....

I just don't see the need for all the bashing. I thought this was a thread for discussing the pros and cons of bringing younger children to see TDK and whether or not you would do so as a parent. I did not however forsee it becoming a "Hey, let's jump on this one person who doesn't agree with the majority, therefore they are a bad parent, so we should slam them for being such a scumbag." type of thread. :wow:

W O W

(insert applicable "Welcome to SHH!:pal: tag here)
I'm not bashing you username, I was trying to get the facts straight on the community that your son exists in. Kids raised by Juggalos are probably much more likely to have different reactions to violent films and music than those born of A typical parent.

[Mikelus]

My son loves the movie "The Thing".. I'm sure he would be able to handle any kind of torture that The Dark Knight will bring out. He has watched Batman Begins every day for a week straight and they have alot of talking in it. He will be fine

Sorry, but you are an irresponsible person. You have a 4 year old kid and you show him BB everyday during a week, is just embarrassing. These movies are not cartoons, see the difference? Letting children (under 7 years old) watch this type of movies is not good for their psychological development, go ask any psychologist, you should be ashamed of yourself.
What do you do for a living? Do you have any culture, education? I ask you because what you do with your son is something ignorant people do. TDK is for teenagers and adults, not little children, think about it.

[deathfromabove]

Ok. My wife and I, will be taking our 3 yr. old to see TDK. (hold the flames) This is our decision as parents according to our own child's personality and general mentality. All children are different, just as all people are different. Our son LOVES the Joker in TDK as well as the cartoons. He watches the animated stuff all the time. When he saw Mr. J for the first time in the trailer he was totally excited. He isn't scared of him at all. (this from a toddler who owns the Halloween DVD) IMO, it's all personal preference. I will not lie to my child and hide his eyes just to keep up with the Jones's, so to speak. If he decides he wants to see the movie, I will let him. If he gets scared or violent about it, we will deal with that situation when it arises. It has nothing to do with the movies and such YOU saw as a child, but if YOU, as a parent, are willing to teach your child that it's not real and just a story, or just hide them from it because you don't want to make the effort to explain. Again, this is my opinion. Take it for what you will.

wait wait wait, dark knight aside can you tell me why your 3 year old son owns the dvd for halloween? and is it the original or the rob zombie one? because if its the remake you should be extra ashamed. that movie was a travesty.

[nickyg641]

Double post.

[nickyg641]

So Why are we even having this argument, do the majority of you even have kids? OOOOH OOOOH IT SHOULD BE RATED R! THE JOKER PUT A PENCIL INTO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING! so? what are we the MPAA now pushing for a more edited Dark Knight? Its friggin PG-13 Its not like were going to be seeing blood and guts.

(btw didnt jack nicholson do the same trick with a pen in batman 89?)
Good call.