But this particular example does not prove that filmgoers prefer more bang for their buck. Instead it appears to shows how the professional body that regulates the content of films is happy to pass the buck. And surely that's not on. As of this week, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) had received more than 80 complaints about the level of violence in The Dark Knight, the ultra-realistic latest instalment in the new Batman franchise. The crux of the issue was whether the film's content warranted a 12A certificate or a 15.

The 12A certificate is a fudge. It means children younger than 12 can watch movies like this if accompanied by an adult. Thus the burden of responsibility is skilfully passed to parents.

I saw the film at a preview prior to its European premiere in London and was reminded how different it appears to its quasi-gothic predecessors. Unlike the series initiated by Tim Burton almost 20 years ago, this 21st century revamp bases Batman in a contemporary setting.

Hence the mewing riposte of the BBFC – that the superhero element of the film allows its violence to exist within that context – appears more than a little spurious. I have never been an advocate of the iron fist of censorship.

In fact, I believe firmly in the concept of right-thinking members of society making up their own minds over whether they watch a movie or not.

The flaw in that argument, and the elementary mistake made by the BBFC, is that no-one is able to make an informed decision if a film, and especially a mammoth blockbuster like The Dark Knight, is incorrectly classified from the outset. And I believe it was.

There can be no defending the comic-strip action of a movie when the fantasy elements are overwhelmed by the believability factor. And that's precisely what happens in The Dark Knight.

Complaints that the film glorifies knives are a red herring. Nonetheless the overall content is a problem when it can be easily accessed by impressionable, wide-eyed kids.

Looking back at some of the BBFC's other decisions, a noticeable pattern begins to emerge. Casino Royale, the newest reinvention of the James Bond series, was granted a 12A rating despite some bone-crunching fight sequences and a wince-inducing torture scene.

And, this week, the latest in The Mummy saga gets similar treatment despite being scattered with over-the-top violence including a scene where the villain is repeatedly head-butted by the hero.

The big difference between this and The Dark Knight is that the former is definitely a fantasy while the latter, aided and abetted by the BBFC, masquerades as one.

Somebody, somewhere, needs a reality check. And fast.