While Neeson is good, this one doesn't fly

Rating: 4/10 (12 August 2014)

Ever since Taken took the box office by storm back in 2008 its aging star Liam Neeson has become somewhat of an action master appearing in films such as The A Team, Taken 2, Unknown, The Grey (which by the way is a seriously underrated gem) and now in Jaume Collet-Serra's thriller Non-Stop in which his presence alone saves this particular plane from a dreadful plunge into the deep dark oceans of movie badness.
Non-Stop is one of those thrillers than remains quite preposterous the whole way through, a suspension of disbelief well and truly required if you are to enjoy it's over the top aeroplane goodies. A suspension of disbelief is made all the more possible thanks to Neeson whose role as alcoholic Air Marshall Bill Marks is enough to earn this movie an extra star. Neeson can do gruff, he can do wisecracks and he can do menacing and his on form here from the get-go. By now Neeson can do these type of roles in his sleep though and it's a little disappointing that an actor with obvious talent would continue to sell himself to these type of movies especially a movie such a this with no real redeeming features bar the man himself.
I can guarantee annoyance levels will reach a near unbearable level about 30 minutes into Non-Stop when Bill's phone continues to "ding ding" with a message received tone, that is up FAR too loud. Annoyance is then ramped up with a continual reading of text messages displayed all over the screen in a shaky unfocused manner. These unfavourable decisions by the movie makers are not helped by a supporting cast either underused (Scott McNairy, Lupita Nyong'o who sports a hairdo not too far distant from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) or overused (Julianne Moore, in another one of her "needed the pay check" roles) and the story working here hinges on what needed to be a perfect landing of an ending but instead we get a bumpy finish with a horrible last act and a severely underwhelming reveal of just who is behind all of this nasty threat business.
The more you think about Non-Stop the more it will frustrate you with his myriad plot holes and incredibly daft decision making skills by its participants and while Neeson is once more a solid centre to an otherwise crumbling film there is no denying that Non-Stop is a flight you regret taking and an experience not dissimilar to flying economy class with a crying baby situated behind you as your next seat neighbour falls asleep on your shoulder.
2 blue ribbons out of 5
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