Movie Review: Non-Stop (2014)
Written by Anthony Sargon
Ever since 2008′s wildly successful “Taken”, Liam Neeson has become one of the most bankable and consistent action stars in the world, and at 61 years old, that’s incredibly impressive. His latest vehicle, “Non-Stop”, benefits greatly from Neeson’s presence and ends up being a pretty entertaining thriller, even if it’s often silly and predictable.
Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is an experienced air marshal getting on to a seemingly ordinary flight. A few minutes into the flight, Marks begins receiving text messages from an unknown individual threatening to murder someone every 20 minutes unless he’s paid a huge sum of money. With the help of some passengers and crew, it’s up to Marks to make sure the threat is neutralized and the plane is landed safely. There are some twists and turns along the way, but you know how it’s all going to end.
I actually enjoyed “Non-Stop”, and that has a lot to do with Liam Neeson. He brings a lot of credibility to most of the characters he plays, even if Bill Marks is just a slight variation of Taken‘s Bryan Mills or The Grey‘s John Ottway. You buy him as a badass air marshal and can’t help but smile when he’s kicking ass. He really is in full “Taken” mode here, and it’s awesome. I also enjoyed a lot of the different characters on the plane, and while most of them fit an obvious stereotype, we get some good laughs out of it. The film has a solid cast which includes Julianne Moore, Corey Stoll, and Lupita Nyong’o, but it’s all about Neeson.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra adds a few nice touches to the flick. From the way text messages are presented to the atmosphere on the plane; you feel immersed right from the start, even when things get kind of stupid. The dialogue isn’t too sharp and I had to suspend my disbelief more often than I thought I should in this type of flick, but it did keep me guessing (mostly). I was personally disappointed with who it actually turns out to be, and found the motivation to be incredibly stupid, but it was a good ride up until that point.
The Verdict:
“Non-Stop” manages to outweigh its flaws thanks to an engaging “who done it” plot and another badass turn from Liam Neeson. It’s by no means Neeson’s finest action flick, but it’s enough to wash away my memory of “Taken 2.”
Numerical Score: 6.5
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