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Batman: The Dark Knight Returns poster

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Movie 2013 148 min Animation, Action, Mystery, Science Fiction Last reviewed 12 Sep 2026
Official Rating PG-13 ClearAge 13+ Quality ★★★☆☆

No Australia rating available — showing United States

What we flagged

View all categories

Scores are 0–5: 0 means none.

Violence
Strong
Sex
Mild
Frightening
Moderate
Language
Mild

Our take

This is the full two-part animated story, about two and a half hours. An older Batman fights a savage gang, a young teen becomes Robin, and later a nuclear blast and a super-powered fight raise the stakes. You will hear hell, damn, and son of a b-word. Fine with a parent from 13. It is long and dark, not for kids who like light Batman

Uplifting themes

People still try to protect a city that has given up An older hero and a young partner keep showing up

Story (may spoil tone)

Batman has not been seen for ten years. A new breed of criminal ravages Gotham City, forcing fifty-five-year-old Bruce Wayne back into the cape and cowl, but does he still have what it takes to fight crime in a new era?

What we flagged

Scores are 0–5: 0 means none.

View all categories

Violence
Strong
Sex
Mild
Frightening
Moderate
Language
Mild

Details

Violence Strong Gang beatings, guns, a nuclear blast, and a long super-powered fight

Gang beatings, guns, a nuclear blast, and a long super-powered fight

Language Mild Hell, damn, and son of a b-word. Scattered, not constant

Hell, damn, and son of a b-word. Scattered, not constant

Sex / nudity Mild A brief kiss line. Nothing explicit

A brief kiss line. Nothing explicit

Frightening Moderate Kidnapping reports, a blacked-out city, and a nuclear scare. Dark from…

Kidnapping reports, a blacked-out city, and a nuclear scare. Dark from start to finish

Self-harm / suicide Mild A death is first talked about as suicide, then ruled out. No method is…

A death is first talked about as suicide, then ruled out. No method is shown

Child peril / abuse Moderate A teen Robin fights grown criminals, and children are kidnapped on the…

A teen Robin fights grown criminals, and children are kidnapped on the news

Gore / death / weapons Moderate Guns, bombs, some blood, and a chemical attack that kills a crowd

Guns, bombs, some blood, and a chemical attack that kills a crowd

Dangerous behaviour Mild Street fighting and gadgets a teen might try to copy

Street fighting and gadgets a teen might try to copy

Grief / bereavement Mild Funerals and talk of people already dead hang over the story

Funerals and talk of people already dead hang over the story

Talk after watching

  • Should a child put on a costume and fight adults?
  • When two heroes disagree, how do they settle it without wrecking a city?