"Parents and their open-mouthed children found themselves watching a scene in which a bloodied Bond, stripped naked and tied to a chair, is tortured by having his genitals beaten with a length of rope. A friend of mine was somewhat dismayed afterwards to witness his two young boys, aged nine and seven, diligently re-enacting the torture scene with an outsize teddy bear strapped to a chair and a flail constructed from a knotted dressing-gown cord."

Admittedly, that is slightly odd.

I think its just worse than it sounds, when i was about 7 my grandfather made me a little gallows which i used to hang lego men, my nan was not happy and took it but i had a good few years enjoying torturing little lego men (usually the bad guys) and i have never really been violent in my life, so i wouldn't say its all that bad.

I personally think the effect is overstated, and i remember i used to think films age ratings were too high, but 12A for batman is about right, most of the worst violence is hidden and the worst bits they do show you is mainly just special effects.