Non-Stop Review

Liam Neeson can't seem to catch a break. First, he had his daughter taken from him. Then, he was taken himself. But now, his plane too? History has told us that whoever's messing with him is in big trouble.

The latest Liam Neeson vehicle Non-Stop is about a US Air Marshal who receives threatening text messages on a secure line that state a person will die every 20 minutes unless $150 million is transferred to a certain bank account. It's definitely not the most original plot that's ever been thought up. At face value, it is a by-the-numbers story. Upon deeper analysis though, the plot of Non-Stop is pretty intriguing.

So, as you know, Non-Stop stars Liam Neeson as the typical B-movie tough guy, a role he's often played in his recent action pursuits. He's good at it, though, and that's no different here. And, come on, who doesn't love Liam Neeson? The film also stars Julianne Moore, and she was surprisingly good. It's refreshing to see a Hollywood thriller showcasing two older cast members like Neeson (61) and Moore (53). Not something you see all too often. The rest of the cast all did a nice job. I don't have any complaints for the performances.

Non-Stop opens with the anxiety that comes with being on an airplane. The anticipation and the uneasiness that often stems from flying. It holds that tension after take-off, and keeps it throughout its entire running time.

I think this movie has been advertised poorly. From what I've seen of the marketing strategy, it's been set up as a straight-up action picture. However, there isn't a lot of action until the finale. The majority of the film is slow-moving, tense build-up. And this is not a bad thing by any means. It's very refreshing for a movie like this not to fall victim to brainless set pieces and stunts.

In a lot of reviews that I've seen for Non-Stop, critics have really bashed the movie for its implausibility, and overall lack of logic. Admittedly, there are moments where you must suspend your disbelief. And, yes, the final act is as preposterous as everyone is saying it is. However, to my surprise, this didn't distract me from enjoying the film all that much.

Non-Stop caught me off guard when it delivered a thoroughly effective mystery. I was expecting a lot of mindless action with little room for thought. The story did keep me guessing for the whole movie, though.

This was a considerable improvement over director Jaume Collet-Serra's previous team-up with Liam Neeson Unknown, and is quite possibly just as good as the original Taken. I'm disappointed that it is getting such mixed reviews. I think it is very much worth a trip to the theater, and I may even consider buying it when it's released on Blu-Ray.

Conclusion 

Non-Stop is a fairly implausible and at times nonsensical, but always tense thriller that benefits from Liam Neeson's assuring presence and a surprisingly effective central mystery. It's a refreshing break from the usually rut of action thrillers that populate Hollywood nowadays. 

Rating: 8/10 

What did you think of Non-Stop? If you haven't seen it, do you plan to? Do you think just about any flick with Liam Neeson is worth seeing? Leave your thoughts down below!