One way of watering down the effects of violence is to approach it in a more lighthearted way. I don't mean to say that you laugh when somebody has their arm sawn off, but you can diffuse fear with humour.
“I just know so many people who have six or seven foreign languages and have read everything and have musical training and they are still dorks.”
“Warner Bros offered me the next Batman, and the only reason that I didn't do it was because of The Saint.”