A fast paced thriller in the skies

Rating: 7/10 (2 March 2014)

I hate when a film is badly advertised. It's one of those things that can kill a decent movie or even bury a great movie. Because of Taken when someone sees Liam Neeson kick ass all over the place the first thing they think is this is going to be an action movie. So when the ads for Non-Stop first came out I thought it might be Taken on a plane. I was wrong but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. Actually in this one case, the bad advertising doesn't harm the film too much.
Neeson plays a rough, drunk of a US marshal on a non stop flight to London. When he gets a text that if $150 million dollars aren't placed in a bank account in twenty minutes after the flight takes off, a passenger will die. Then the clock resets until the money is paid. That's when the audience and Neeson go on the hunt to figure out who is doing this. But with this kind of movie the why doesn't really matter. And as usual, the why is explained in a speech given by the villain during the finale.
I had my doubts about the film. The thought of Taken on a plane was pretty cool. Especially when the trailer ended with that zero gravity shot of Nesson with gun in hand. The film is directed by Jaume Collet- Serra who teamed up with Neeson for the dreadful Unknown. When I heard he was the director I thought twice about Non-Stop.
The film moves at a quick pace, with the entire audience trying to figure out who is doing it. The thriller aspect is in high gear. A few moments I was on the edge of my seat. Nesson is perfect in this role. He's tough, grizzled and at times emotional. We all know the man can act. It's nice he brings some of that acting after he's killed bad guys and yelling at people. The supporting cast does their job with what they have. Jullianne Moore brings a bit of humanity to her role. It seems as if all these passengers have a back story, some which get explained by them and other by Neeson after some digging.
This is one of those thrillers where the clues are given to you to figure out who has done in the first few moments but the filmmakers realize they want you for the full ride. There's not much action other than two fights, one which is a pretty impressive hand to hand brawl in a bathroom. And of course there is the chaotic finale with has a few explosions and some shots fired. As long as there isn't too much deep thinking the film goes for the swift ride with some thrills. It's in the vein of Passenger 57 and Snakes on a Plane.
For the most part Neeson more than makes up for the awful Unknown with this thriller that has a decent premise, some okay supporting characters and Neeson being pretty awesome he usually is. I haven't seen The Grey but of his action films I would put this third or fourth behind that and Taken. I walked out of the theater with a grin on my face quoting Key & Peele, "Liam Neesons is my sh...!". That must be a good thing.
Quick Review: Non-Stop is a fast moving thriller with Liam Neeson doing what he does best. The thrills are quick and enjoyable. There is a decent hand to hand fight and a fun final action scene. Other than being advertised wrong, this film is fun for a good 90 minutes.