The Dark Knight (Tragically) Rises

This is a Disney blog. The Dark Knight Rises is not a Disney, Marvel, or Pixar movie or in any way connected with Disney or Disney movies. What occurred last night in Aurora, Colorado at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises is nothing short of an utterly senseless tragedy, the worst shooting spree in American history.

The Dark Knight Rises as a movie is not responsible for a gunman, who identified himself as The Joker to authorities, to go on a a shooting spree which to this point has killed 12 people and injured 58 others. The tragic act of violence belongs squarely with the killer.

Except.

I haven't seen The Dark Knight Rises. After last night's tragedy I don't plan to - in a theater anyway. It has nothing to do with being afraid of being in a captive movie theater audience. I just wouldn't feel right about seeing The Dark Knight Rises knowing the suffering and sadness of countless people who are left reeling in the wake of a random act of violence, all for just seeing a movie

Violence.

I did see The Dark Knight film from a few years ago, the second in this trilogy series of Batman films. It was a riveting, well crafted film. It was also quite dark and disturbing. It was also unrelentingly violent. Why it didn't get an 'R' rating, I don't know. There was nothing "nice" about The Dark Knight. It was a film consumed by one violent act after another.

When I was a boy, I read comic books. They were escapist entertainment for youth who wanted to see good conquer bad. Comic books were read - at arms length. Watching The Avengers and The Amazing Spiderman movies this year, I thought that these were movie adventures that could be safely watched from a distance, never once taking them seriously. There was a sense of fun about them and a bit of humor in both of them. The current Batman / Dark Knight series doesn't do that at all. It pulls you into a world that no one would want to be part of - gritty, dirty, and depressing. Out of this world, warped thinking could fester. It just did.

The Disneyland Traveler sends thoughts and prayers to the many victims of this tragedy, the dead, the injured, and all of the families and friends of those who had to be part of this sad, sad, event. Kind of makes you sick.