It's only entertainment

Rating: Null/10 (4 March 2014)

There's a whole sub-genre of movies based around trouble in an airliner - think of the four "Airport" films of the 1970s, the two "Airplane" comedies of the 1980s, the action- thrillers "Passenger 57" (1992) and "Flightplan" (2005), the real life account of "United 93" (2006) or even the hilarious "Snakes On A Plane" (2006). So don't expect anything too original from "Non-Stop", set almost entirely on a flight from New York to London on the fictional airline Aqualantic.
At the centre of the action is air marshal Bill Marks who - like the pilot in "Flight" - has a past fuelled by alcohol. What give "Non-Stop" an element of class is that Marks is played by Liam Neeson who is a serious actor - brilliant in the eponymous roles of "Michael Collins" and "Schindler's List" but latterly turning to action roles (the two "Taken" movies"). Julianne Moore is also around as one of the suspect passenger to add a little gravitas.
As entertainment, this is a fun enough film. At the time, the tension is maintained and the twists keep coming but, on reflection, little of the narrative makes much sense - but, if it did, air travel would be less safe, so let's enjoy the ride.