Passenger 57 meets a cellular Agatha Christie

Rating: Null/10 (7 April 2014)

On a non-stop flight from New York to London an Air Marshal receives a text message informing him that someone on the plane will die every 20 minutes unless $150 million is transferred into a specific bank account.
In this Die Hard, Passenger 57 mixed with a cellular technology Agatha Christie murder mystery Liam Neeson delivers the gravitas and action prowess required even though he can probably do these roles in his sleep. Julianne Moore's role sadly gives her little to do, a part which may have been suited to an unknown but it's good to see an A grade actor bringing some credibility to such a mediocre part. There's solid performances from the array of passengers that makeup the supporting cast. However, talented actor Scoot McNairy feels slightly miscast.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra offers some great special effects, action setups and creates in the first half of the film genuine tension and intrigue. Despite the character development and a conscious effect to avoid stereotypes Non-Stop feels to run out of jet fuel before the end. Illogical points aside, hidden within the John W. Richardson, Chris Roach and Ryan Engle's screenplay are some intriguing nuances about alcoholism, security and government cover ups although it never fully explores these interesting points.
Overall an entertaining film but not as compelling as you'd like it to be.