Surprisingly, more than just 'Taken (in the air)'

Rating: 8/10 (5 July 2014)

Okay, I, like many, enjoyed Liam Neeson's film 'Taken.' And, like many, I thought the sequel was a little bit of a let-down/cash-in. Therefore, my hopes weren't that high for 'Non Stop' – a film where, from all trailers and promotional material, Neeson basically plays the same aging tough guy, albeit now he's an air marshal trying to stop a terrorist highjacking/blackmail plot.
Perhaps that's the secret to enjoying this film, i.e. don't expect too much, because, as it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised (and very entertained). Yes, Neeson's character isn't that different to how he acted in Taken, however, the story is executed in a different enough way to make it not feel like a cheap rip-off of the Taken franchise.
It's sort of a 'whodunnit' on a plane. One of the passengers is texting Neeson, threatening to kill a passenger every so often unless his (monetary) demands are met. This means that there are plenty of 'red herrings' to constantly throw the audience off the scent.
Naturally, with any sort of film like this, there are some moments where you have to suspend your disbelief and accept that – sometimes – things just happen to move the plot forward in the right direction.
So, don't think too hard about the (few) minor plot holes, just enjoy the pretty tense ride as Neeson proves that, once again, you don't have to be 'expendable' to be an older statesman of the action genre.