No-brainer, dumb, disposable, passable entertainment (possibly never in-flight)

Rating: Null/10 (5 March 2014)

I love events unfolding in real-time. The intended effect filmmakers using this technique want one to have is of being there, and interacting, or feeling as if one has influenced those proceedings unfolding in front of them. However, its still a movie, and needs much more than just technique to propel it forward Non-Stop, as these filmmakers have elected to call this misstep in misdirection.
In spite of that, this still is what's known as a Paisa vasool timepass flick over 'ere. Liam Neeson continues to slum past his prime in no-brainer actioners like this one, and Jan/Feb seems to be the perfect time for his flicks to find multiplexes.
This time, he's the cop on a plane, and no one's quite 'taken' his family - there's a different motivating factor this time around, like it was in 'Unknown'. There is a backstory influencing everything, and the makers try to tie up a few loose ends neatly, but it falls apart if you feign to pay attention to the plot. Instead, like one does at those Transformers movies, don't think, just react to the events unfolding, and you might find the goings-on passable, maybe even plausible, since one needs that, plus oodles of suspension-of-disbelief, esp. towards its eventual denouement, to enjoy this dumb plot. I confess this made for my guilty pleasure, esp. after having watched 'Dallas Buyers club' and 'Nebraska' back-back the previous night. I'd double- billed this one with 'Mr. Peabody and Sherman', so this seemed like more of the same (admittedly, more brainwork was required for processing the former), albeit without the 3D, or Mr. Peabody.
The weakest part, that everyone would have pointed out by now, are the following aspects, IMO:
a. Who the bad guy(s)/gal(s) is/are; b. What motivates(d) them to put this entire movie in motion; and c. How any number of logical actions could have prevented him/her/them from succeeding within the first 15 minutes.
Jaume Collet-Serra did infinitely better with Neeson and the rest of the cast of 'Unknown' and that's definitely sayin' somethin'. Julianne Moore, Scoot McNairy (fantastic in 'In search of a midnight kiss', 'Argo', 'Killing them softly', 'Monsters'.....), Corey Stoll (one of the best reasons to follow 'House of Cards') and Lupita Nyong'o (12 years a slave - best supporting actress winner) are all gloriously wasted, though I do confess enjoying watching their stock characters interact on the big-screen. Omar Metwally (Munich, Rendition..) stood tall among them all, even taking on Neeson's performance head-head, IMO. I do hope we see more of him (NO pun intended).
The CGI was surprisingly better-than-average; considering the outsourcing trend in Hollywood these days, I thought it'd be crappy like it has been in quite a few big- budget no-brainer actioners in the recent past (I'm lookin' at you, Bruce Willis - for having done 'The cold light of day' and 'A good day to die hard', 2 flicks with some of the most crappiest CGI ever committed on-screen). He's making another one with Neeson called 'Run All Night', and I do hope it turns out better than this one (its got Ed Harris too, so......).
Disposable/forgettable/regurgitated, yet passable entertainment.