Why So Serious?

"Violence and sexuality are overabundant in movies and television nowadays," said Dad.
"I agree. Poor little Jimmy can't even look up to sports icons anymore. Thank goodness there are still good wholesome superhero movies to take him to so he has some heroes to look up to, even if they are fictional."
"I don't know, sweetheart," interjected Dad, "Iron Man had a decent amount of sexual inuendo..."
"Sure, but Jimmy din't understand that part. That's for us adults," Mom said, giggling.
"Good point, dear. What time does Batman start?"

...But a Batman movie that even adults might not fully comprehend? We, the proud American parents, will have none of it. This is, after all, a comic book movie, so it's likely that a few parents' egos were bruised when they realized the Joker couldn't quite be figured out.

The worst part about it? He makes a hell of a lot of sense.

The Dark Knight has no sexual inuendo, that I can remember, minus the Joker's single reference to Rachel as Harvey's "squeeze;"
The violence is not excessive, as nothing involving blood is actually seen on screen;
Most importantly, the moral of the story is a great one: Batman champions the common good and fights for what is right, even if it is not in his best interest.

So why has The Dark Night become the latest scapegoat du jour for parents of pre-teens and young children?

"It's too violent and the kids just won't understand. It's too dark."

But ultimately, that's the point. No one understands the Joker. No one knows where he came from, what kind of gain he is attempting to achieve, and this is why parents are not very fond of the newest installment in the Batman series.

The conflict in the Dark Knight is a philosophical one. The Joker believes that nothing about life is sacred since it can be taken away at any moment, for no reason, and nothing is ever guaranteed. Since Batman is the opposite, believing life is more sacred than anything else, the Joker is calling his life, his fight against injustice... A bad joke.

Funny, no?

Perhaps the Joker is an analogy for the modern day terrorist. People fear most what they don't understand, which is why the Joker is such a frightening figure. Similar to terrorists, he is not looking for monetary profit, he is not afraid of death, and he refuses to tell his audience exactly what his motivation is.

That being said, The Dark Knight is easily the best film of the Summer, and probably one of the most impressive films in years, encompassing action, drama, humor, and horror all at the same time. However, it is NOT simply a comic-to-film adaptation. Anyone under the influence that this is a simple story should steer clear of the movie theatres for a while.

Might I suggest renting the 1966 Batman which starred Adam West? It's probably right up your alley.

xO