Ledger's portrayal of the Joker made a LOT of adults squirm in their seats...NOT for kids. I believe many people confuse the Batman on film with that of the 60's TV show. Interesting to note that the Japanese villain of an early 40's 'Batman' movie serial met his doom in a pit of crocodiles...ick. Captain Marvel machine-gunned fleeing criminals IN THE BACK...circa 1943. He also threw another criminal off the roof of a tall building later in the same feature. The violence has ALWAYS been there...parents just had better judgement and more common sense in those days.
Of course, it would be twenty years later that the Communists finally succeeded in throwing G-d out of the classroom...
Well, I've exhausted the subject and remain passionate that responsible parents should scope out today's action movies they're allowing their little darling to see, especially at midnight in a theater.
If gratuitous violence and gore has no effect on youngsters, then it's logical that all cereal and toy advertising is useless and a waste of money to run on TV.
Leni