Product of a sick mind or exciting action movie?

Rating: 3/10 (31 March 2011)

The answer to this question depends on the level of political awareness and the political affiliation of the viewer. If you are a neoconservative or if you don't care about politics then you might enjoy this film as a pretty good (but not great) action movie. It is all there: the fights, car chases, explosions, the superhero etc.
But there is a difference between this movie and most other action movies: at its core is not entertainment but a political message. Other action movies try to suspend reality and take the viewer's mind away from the problems of the real world for a few hours. The villains are interchangeable - someone has to be the villain, after all - and events, behavior and circumstances are so far removed from reality or the perception of reality that everyone knows that they are not meant to be authentic.
"Taken", however, is like a recruitment video for the "war on terror". It reminded me of many propaganda films made during WWII to boost morale, in which brave soldiers protect vulnerable nuns from the terrible enemy. "Taken" says: Don't believe the pacifists/appeasers (in this case those who say that foreigners could be trusted and France is a civilized country), it is OK to be paranoid and obsessed with "security" - nothing is more important -, the foreigner is the enemy, shed all moral inhibitions and be a killing machine, torture is good, don't think, don't hesitate, the world is out to get you.