The Dark Knight: parents' guide

Constant, realistic violence with limited blood: shootings, stabbings, beatings, bombings and a hospital explosion. A thug's head is slammed onto a pencil, a man is set on fire, a bomb is sewn into a henchman, and Batman breaks a man's legs.

Mild: "son of a bitch," "hell," "ass," "damn" and "goddamn," plus several uses of God's and Jesus' names as exclamations. No f-words or s-words.

A few kisses, a couple caught straightening their clothes after a tryst, low-cut gowns, and ballerinas in bikinis aboard a yacht. No sex scenes or nudity.

Adults drink champagne at parties and liquor in bars, and Alfred offers Harvey a drink for courage. A villain briefly uses a hallucinogenic gas as a weapon. No real drug use.

The Joker's scarred face and unpredictability create long stretches of dread: knife-in-mouth threats, hostages holding live grenades, and two ferries rigged to explode. A burned face shows exposed muscle and teeth, and a gun is pointed at a boy's head.