July 19, 2008
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The Dark Knight
Vote on the post below this one.
Here we go:
The new Batman movie has been released and it is expected to break all kinds of records. (I received this issue from two_blue_skies).
A few news articles have been written about whether the dark theme is appropriate for children. Here is one of them: Link
In the article I just linked, a person said that 10 years old was about right for age appropriateness.
The movie is rated PG-13 for “intense sequences of violence and some menace.” Here is the link: Link
Would you take a 10-year-old to see “The Dark Knight” before you viewed the movie yourself?
Comments (120)
depends on the 10-year-old
Good morning, Dan!
In answer to your question….hell no I wouldn’t!
probably not, unless they were already watching other dark movies like that and enjoying them
uh no, WAY too intense for a 10-year old.
People definitely get brutally killed in this one.
No.
Probably. Depends on who it was.
sure. if i thought they could stand it. plus, id need someone to hold my hand.
no, I wouldn’t take any child to any movie before I reviewed it.
There is worst shit 10 year olds see then this and it’s everyday on the news. we can’t shelter our kids for ever. i think 10 is a good age.
I wonder if Ledger really can get an Oscar for this, since he’s dead.
And no, that’s too young to see a movie such as this one.
No, my parents never let me see movies like this when I was 10. It’s too violent.
depends on the child, and if the child is prone to nightmares I think
forget the 10 year old. if i go see it at the IMAX, am i going to have nightmares for a while?
I dunno, this is supposed to be a more grown up version of batman. Yet they’re marketing all these toys and stuff. I think a good test would be showing them Batman Begins, if they like it and aren’t scared, I’d say it’s not as scary for a kid compared to Two-face, then they could try seeing it.
no way. i’d let a ten-year-old see some pg-13 movies, but not this one.
Not before I viewed it. Now that I have seen it I would say to follow the ratings! No younger than 13.
no-I never let my kids see movies unless I saw them first. I still wouldn’t.
@TressaD - Even if it was pixar? =P
@TigerIly - not even if it was pixar !
I wouldn’t bring my 10 year old, but she’s the stereotypical girl: she likes tween movies, like the Bratz Movie and Aquamarine; she also likes the animated “kid” flicks. She’d have nightmares for days with this one.
I saw it last night, and I think that my 10 year old son would be able to handle it just fine.
No way.
I saw the movie last night and was appalled that a couple next to us brought their child who was under 4. The hell??? Clowns are scary dude!
I wouldn’t think a movie that revolves around death and sanity would be very appropriate for any ten year old!
i wouldnt, it was PRETTY scary…
It depends on the kid. I’ve known ten-year-olds who could handle anything, and I’ve known kids that age who were extremely sensitive and empathetic. Parents just need to pay attention to the ratings, read the reviews and know what their own kids can handle.
My 10 year old brother saw it last night and loved it. He’s not very prone to nightmares though, I suppose. Hmm, yeah. Depends on the kid.
Our minds trick us at any adult age, why in the CRAP would any responsible parent take their child to see ANY movie like this.Even an 18 year old can get a warped mind watching this stuff…a 10 year old, MAN wake up folks!
@theblackspiderman - Yeah, but that pencil scene was awesome, no?
@adifferentkindofbeautiful - absolutely it was. Wow.
No. and I have to decide that tonight actually. I’m babysitting a 10 almost 11 year old and she wants to see it. It scared the pants off me and i’m almost 20.
It depends if the 10-year old can understand what’s going on in the film.
No! I haven’t seen it yet, but if I had a 10 year old, I’d be watching the movies before I let the 10 year old watch them for sure!
No.
Depends on the 10-year-old… If I thought he or she could handle it, then sure.
I knew a family once who took their three-year-old kid to Spiderman once. Not a good idea.
I wouldn’t do it. Any movie with a PG-13 rating should be viewed by the parents first just in case. Having seen the movie yesterday, there is no way in hell I would want my ten year old to see it. Yesterday when we went some woman came in with a kid that was probably about five, and I couldn’t believe it. The movie was WAY too dark for a five year old.
I saw Trainspotting in 4th grade, so I feel like some children could handle it. But I was very very very scared, probably moreso than with a lot of blood and guts. Honestly, The Joker made me want to cry in parts, he was that scary.
i already saw it and definitely NO. its not only violent and sometimes perverted but some of the themes are just too much. when i was in the theater there was this kid who was seriously like 6 years old…i sure hope his dad was covering his eyes cause geez. kinds wont be the only ones shaken after seeing it.
yeah 10 is a good age, younger kids are a no-go
When I was a kid my parents took me to see any old movie. Unless my kid was hypersensitive, I’d probably do the same thing.
Probably not. Wasn’t it once meant to be for kids?
No, I think it is a movie that should have parental preview first. I saw it last night.
it would depend on the 10 year old… and their maturity level, as well as how they respond to creepy and violent things they have already seen.
but… maybe?
Definitely not. I saw it last night, and even though it was amazing, even the implied violence was too much for a kid. I can’t think of a single 10-year old I’d want to expose to that, and not just for the sake of nightmares. On one hand, if you’ve got a kid who’s easily frightened, the answer is obvious. But if you’ve got a kid who’s into that “violence rules!” phase, this is not something I’d want to use to feed it. It’s not just some scary action flick–there are some pretty dark themes going on that are just too complex for a kid to grasp.
I don’t know..I personally wouldn’t but my husband said he would b/c there’s a lot worse that they watch on TV.
I would probably go see it first. Either that or, depending on the 10 year old, bring them… but cover their eyes for the inappropriate bits.
If the 10 yr old can handle it
no i would not.
the movie was so hauntingly AMAZING though! <3<3
No. I prefer previewing movies before I let my kids see them so neither one of us are surprised.
It’s quite embarrassing when your mom puts her hands over your eyes at the theater…
I watched it last night. No, I wouldn’t have anyway.
Yes
I’m not sure a 10 year old should see this. I saw it last night though, and it was AMAZING.
age doesn’t really measure a kid’s sensibility or maturity
i went to go and see this last night and there was a five year old sitting two rows behind me.
i think that is far too young.
I watched rated R movies when I was around 10 or 11. & PG 13 movies around 9. It doesn’t really matter about the age, it just matters about the child and what they can handle.
Not sure why the fascination with death and violence and “dark themes” there seems to be enough of that in the world as it is.
Guess I just don’t have much interest in this particular film, but thats just me.
I think it depends on the maturity of the 10 year old.
It depends on the 10 year old. If they had already seen movies like the dark knight, and they could handle it well. I would say, yes it is okay for them to see it.
It’s funny you ask, because I actually am.
He’s a pretty mature 10-year-old, though. Not just saying that because he’s my little brother; he’s one of those hardcore little Chinese book-a-holic 10-year-olds. Besides, he’s already seen The Matrix Trilogy.
Most other 10-year-olds, though? I don’t know.
Batman was never intended for children. (Neither was Spiderman, really. Or most comic heroes, for that matter.)
It does depend on the kid, I think. You can’t really just base it on their age.
My substitute teacher for when my 6th grade teacher was on maternity leave was the Judge who got blown up.
I hated her.
The movie was great.
i think it depends on the 10 year old. I would let my kid see it because when i was a kid, my mom let me see all kinds of “violent movies”. I think it would only be fare for my kid to have the same advantage.
No. After I’d seen it….maybe.
Hi Dan. It’s been awhile.
I’m taking my kid, who is 4, to go see the Hellboy 2 movie. His father and I thought about taking him to see The Dark Knight but decided against it. I took him to see Ironman and Transformers along with a lot of other movies that are PG/PG-13. People might be appalled by this but my son loves the shit and he knows it’s not real.
Good lord, no! I find the Joker creepy enough in the previews, I’m not gonna go take my kid to go see that and then have nightmares for a week later!
It’s amazing to me how normalized we have become to all the violence in movies. I was on a plane last year, an international flight that played movies but just had the communal screens so you didn’t get to choose what to watch. They played Spiderman 3. On a plane FILLED with young children. As I sat there watching a scene where one guy’s face is RUBBED OFF BY GETTING PUSHED ONTO A PASSING, SPEEDING TRAIN, something I found rather violent and disgusting (yeah, the guy was “made of sand” how is a 2 yr old supposed to understand that?), and I was appalled that they chose this level of movie to show on a plane, where parents have no choice but to expose their kids to it. We’re completely making that level of violence “ok” to the point of it not even being disturbing to people anymore.
Heck no. It really depends, but I don’t think I would take a 10 year old kid to this movie even after I had seen it. 10 years is not enough to handle all the scary and graphic scenes (most children that is). Even some 13 year olds may not be able to handle it (using the PG-13 rating).
Meh, I hear TDK is not going to break Spiderman 3 ‘s record though. And I hear critics probably don’t think Heath is going to get an Oscar for it, and that it’s just rumors, but we’ll see. I’m going to see it tonight, extremely excited.
IF I had a 10 yr old, I would not let them watch it without me seeing it first. And I hear the movie was pretty close to getting an R rating.
i dont think it matters how much they can handle…the concepts are just too much to be planted in a persons brain that young
My brother’s 11, but we’ve been taking him to these sorts of movies for a while now. It’d be fine, depends on the kiddie.
hahaha
having watched it, no. even i jumped at a few scenes
No, there were scenes that were a little intense even for me, and I’m 21.
Amazing movie though.
Maybe a few could handle it, but I would say it would scare the pants off most 10 year olds, and inspire arbitrary ass kicking in others. Usually I wouldn’t hesitate to take a kid to see batman, but this one was twisted. Amazing, but twisted. So, no I don’t think it’s age appropriate for 10 year olds. Of course I only know that after seeing it, so I probably would take a kid to see it without viewing it myself first.
I wouldn’t take a ten year old to go see it, period! I’m sure as fuck not babysitting for anyone and if I was, I wouldn’t take them to a movie. Who likes having that bratty-ass kid behind them in the movie theatre, kicking their seat?
Probably not.
Honestly though, I am still wondering about the people who brought their 6 year olds (they couldn’t have been older than that) to see Love Guru when I went to see it. There were at least four kids in that theatre under the age of six and at least two more under 10.
no
I could’ve handled it at ten.
I dunno about other kids, though.I was mature for my age.
I just saw it today with my 13 year old niece it had us both grabbing on to each other and at the edge of our seats. I would not take a 10 year old. They can wait until they are a bit older for some of the darkness in it.
I am not sure kids could understand the Batman running away at the end.
Freaky and Good I loved it and Heath was amazing.
yes i would, it’s friggin batman.
and let the kid grow a backbone.
naw, but it shouldn’t be rated R
there were a lot of explosions, but no bad language, sex, and very little blood
Probably not – I wouldn’t recommend any movie without seeing it first.
I would never take a child to a movie that was rated over PG unless I saw the movie first.
No, and even after seeing it…I wouldn’t take a 10 year old. Their world is still a bit naive, and this movie, in its darkness, can shatter that naivety.
It doesn’t really matter either way…..anyone can sneak into a movie. And a lot of kids look older than they are, so…..
As for violence, why is sexual content so much worse than a guy bashing someone’s brains out?
No. I wouldn’t. . .unless I’d read a review that said that it was good for kids. I thought the first one was great (though a little dark for small kids), but this one seems darker.
I think I read a Dobson review of Spiderman, when the first one came out. My husband has always taken the kids to those in the theater. But they’re pretty clean, and the themes are great for young boys.
I don’t think so, man. The Joker scared the shit out of me and I’m 20.
At the same time, it’s sad to know that they’ll have to wait three years before the MPAA will accept them seeing the Greatest Movie of All Time.
(hyperbole added)
@KrazyGr8girl - It’s not. People just think it is because there’s an endemic fear of sex in this country.
I saw it yesterday, and… no I would not bring a 10-year old to that movie. I’d be hard-pressed to bring a 13 year old to that movie. That could screw with a kid’s head. Not to say that I wasn’t a tiny bit traumatized by the movie myself. It was amazing, but not really appropriate for 10-year-olds.
before viewing it, yes
after viewing it, no
(I saw it last night, and it was AWESOME)
My 10 year old son wants to see it but I will certainly be seeing it first. He’s going to have to wait for Netflix.
well i saw this one kid come out crying, and kids in the bathroom were scared to go in alone
NO way.
And after seeing it tonight, DOUBLE no way.
Yeah. I saw it yesterday, too.
My husband and I saw it yesterday and it was entirely too psychologically intense for a 10 year old. I have a 13 and 15 yr old and I think my 13 yr old would still have some problems.
I’d have to view myself first before I would allow my child to see it.
No! Are you insane? The kid would be scared for life!
Probably. There were some scenes that would definitely scare a kid. But then again, I was watching R movies when I was 8 and I turned out okay. My parents were never really strict with the whole movie watching. Hell, my parents wanted me to watch A Clockwork Orange with them. I guess they figured I knew it wasn’t real and didn’t take any of it seriously. Besides, as sflynn17 said, “it’s friggin Batman.” If they can go see Spiderman, X-men, and every other superhero movie, they can see Batman (who is by far the coolest).
@findingmytruth - Thanks for spoiling the ending.
We coddle our children way too much in this country. Chances are, if you’re a good parent, letting your kid see this movie with you will probably not affect them too adversely. If you’re a bad parent, whether you let ur kids see this movie or not, they’re still gonna be fucked up. Ha!
Ugh, who is crazy to go jump up and see batman first chance they get ………..save ur money
I saw it and I wouldnt let my 10 year old see it. to violent. even if they were with me, id tell them they can stay home and watch the old batmans. lol.
yes I would. But my daughter has been watching “dark” movies since she was two and laughs at most of them. Never had a nightmare and she knows it is all fake. She is 9 and we can’t wait to see it. Her favorite movies are Halloween btw.
I’m taking my eleven year old sister tonight.
I’ve never seen it.
Answer your question?
She’s tough.
@TheMandarinKing - I AGREE 100000% you could not be more right!
@findingmytruth - i agree with the last one that said THANKS FOR SPOILING THE MOVIE… no sense in wasting money on it now!
I think my sister will handle it.
I saw this movie last night and my cousin saw this movie and she is only 8 and she loved it. It’s not that bad it reminds me of Spiderman.
No way I would let my ten year old see it — it was too intense for me. My husband and I both thought it was R rated after we watched it for the psychological darkness. Freaky. I don’t think I would have seen it if I had known.
I love how the batman movies aren’t really targeted toward kids like most superhero movies. They come off much more serious and entertaining then Ironman and Spiderman and the like.
Not even accidentally.
i was raised on wiley coyote constantly crushed by metal anvils – so probably not
this movie was pretty intense for ME, and I’m 19. So hellll no. Although I might take my ten-year-old cousin, because he’s violent and screwed up enough already and it probably wouldn’t make a difference.
no. my son worked on the editing and told me i probably wouldn’t care for it.
Why not, we are too caught up in keeping our children innocent and yet we let our 10 and 11 year old daughters dress like whores. Why not let 10 year old boys see a bit of violence. If they are stupid enough to not be able to determine fantasy from real life, put a helmet on them before the movie starts.
There was a time when young boys would hunt and kill animals along with adults to contribute in their families. And now we shelter our children from Everything. Generations of pussy men running around with manicures, worrying about their hair.
I’ve seen the movie and when it comes out on DVD I’m going to let my 6 year old watch it if he wants to.
Even before I had seen the movie, my answer would have been no. The previews were much to macabre for me to take a ten year old to it on good concious :/;;;
It depends on the kid. Personally, I wouldn’t take a 10-year-old to see it. While tehre’s nothing graphic in the movie, it’s veryintense, and Ledger’s Joker would scare kids very easily. Then again, I’d say the same thing for the first two Burton Batman movies. The last two are more kid-friendly.
As much as I enjoyed Joker’s magic trick, this movie is a lot jumpier than Resident Evil III. I’d feel awful taking a child for this movie.
i saw it. it was amazing. i’m not sure about a ten year old though. definitely depends on the level of maturity and their sense of reality.
ditto to prettylittledeadgrl
idk .. me liked the movie
my 7 yr old nephew already saw it & i’ve been exposed to rated R movies since i was very young so yeah…
I think it would be too scary for a 10 year old, but I highly reccomend it anyway.
WHY SO SERIOUS?!!!!!! HAHAHA~~!*yes I’m currently in Dark Knight fandom!!!!*