Entertaining, but nothing you haven't seen before

Rating: 7/10 (18 June 2014)

I don't know what it is about airplanes in movies, but their backdrop always seem to add to the tension and sense of enclosement that the viewer feels, regardless of the source material's quality. Luckily, Non-Stop contains a rock solid script reinforced by some good acting, which ultimately delivers an entertaining movie throughout.
I'm a fan of the action/mystery movies, despite the many mediocre films that unfortunately plague this otherwise interesting genre. Non-Stop was a film that kept me engaged from start to finish, and after the first 20 minutes or so, rarely lets up as the mystery unfolds before the viewer's eyes. In short, this movie centers around a misguided air marshall who is thrown into a rather precarious situation when he receives a text message from an alleged passenger threatening to kill someone every 20 minutes if 150 million dollars isn't transported to a specified bank account. Sound familiar? It should, as this general synopsys has been beaten almost to death over the years. What separates this movie from the rest is a series of intertwined mysteries that occur as the plane takes flight over the Atlantic ocean. This film really does keep you guessing throughout as to whom the "bad guys" may actually be, as well as what their intentions really are. It's always refreshing when you are unable to guess who the perpetrator may be in the first 30 minutes of the film, and I would venture to guess many won't have a clue until they reach the third act of the movie. The red herring literary device is used throughout the script to good effect, misleading the viewer many times before the mystery is finally discovered. This, along with some solid acting from Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore, are what makes this film shine.
Now to the negatives. While I found Neeson's character interesting, I felt the part was a bit overzealous in certain situations that detracted from the overall credibility of the story. Certain scenes have Neeson's character beating the crap out of seemingly innocent passengers, and while the situation was certainly grave, I would find it hard to believe an air marshall, an alcoholic, grieving one at that, would be flipping people around aboard a commercial airliner like Steven Seagal. It is part action flick though, so perhaps im judging too hard here. Another issue I had with this film revolves around some holes in the overall plot. As you watch, certain parts of the mystery will begin to make sense, but some portions are completely left either unexplained or become irrelevant, which certainly detracts from the whole experience. Lastly, while the acting was solid, there are by no means any Academy Award winning performances. Liam Neeson seems to have settled right in as an action hero in recent years, and parts of this film have a very Taken-esque feel to it without the more intriguing setting or plot. Julianne Moore is solid, but her character is unfortunately pretty forgettable. The supporting cast performances range from good to below average.
The plot certainly isn't anything new or riveting, but that doesn't mean it wasn't executed well despite this. As I said before, the fact that it takes place on an airplane in flight adds to the excitement of the film, despite the plot holes and relatively mediocre characters involved in the film. I didn't find myself seriously engaged with any of the characters involved, yet I still enjoyed the film. The mystery factor really carries this film and is by far the strong suit of the script. The writers did a good job keeping me guessing and on my toes, and I give them immense credit for taking what should be a rather mediocre film and making it quite exciting at times. Non-Stop certainly isn't one for the ages, yet it delivers solid entertainment nonetheless. I'd recommend this movie for fans of the genre, and give it a solid 7/10.