smith212121

Not surprisingly, as it is based on stories by the same author, "The Informers" has much in common with "American Psycho". Both are scathing indictments of the decadence of today's Western society, and both veil this moral stance behind a seemingly neutral, almost indifferent depiction of the life of beautiful people who embrace the paradigms of modern society - hedonism, individualism without responsibility, egoism - to the fullest.

But why is "American Psycho" hailed as a masterpiece by many - with a 7.4 rating at IMDb.com - while "The Informers" is reviled by almost everyone, despite many factors which should have made it a greater success: better acting, more prominent actors, sexier, ...?

I can only guess, but I think the main reason is that "The informers" contains more uncomfortable truths that people don't want to face about our society. The "villain" in "American Psycho" was a serial murderer. You could look at him as a gruesome attraction that had nothing to do with your life or with that of the people you know. The "villains" in "The Informers" are no real villains, but normal, even likable people who don't know anymore what is right and what is wrong, who have lost their way in the same manner as millions of people have in the real world.

The film holds up a mirror in which we see ourselves and the world we live in, which is unbearable. And it offers no ready-made answers, only questions.

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.

I love good action movies. They are a great way to relax and forget reality for a while.

But this movie just made me cringe. I felt embarrassed for the actors who had to utter those unbelievably stupid lines and to act out that absurd plot line with a straight face. This plot line can be summed up in one sentence: a bunch of morons hectically running around, shouting inane things and acting in incomprehensible ways.

The special effects are great but one-dimensional and repetitive and lose their appeal very quickly. After 10 minutes or so they are just boring and grate on the nerves. Noise and movement and colorful explosions are not enough to sustain a film, especially if the action sequences consist entirely of endless variations of the same theme: bulky robots fighting each other and crushing things.

The only redeeming feature of this film is the beauty (not acting capability) of Megan Fox. She is hot!