Non-Stop Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Action and Violence, Some Language, Sensuality and Drug References)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 46 Minutes

Cast-

Liam Neeson-Bill Marks

Julianne Moore-Jen Summers

Michelle Dockery-Nancy

Anson Mount-Jack Hammond

Linus Roache-Captain David McMillan

Jason Butler Harner-Kyle Rice

Lupita Nyong'o-Gwen

Scoot McNairy-Tom Bowen

Nate Parker-Zack White

Corey Stoll-Austin Reilly

Omar Metwally-Dr. Fahim Nasir

Corey Hawkins-Travis Mitchell

Frank Deal-Charles Wheeler

Bar Paly-Iris Marianne

Edoardo Costa-Herve Philbert

Quinn McColgan-Becca

Shea Whigham-Agent Marenick

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Liam Neeson, every airline needs one.

Note: Screened on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.

If you had told me six years ago that Liam Neeson—one of Hollywood's most accomplished dramatic actors—would one day become an ass-kicking action hero, I would've laughed in your face. Of course, Neeson is no stranger to the action genre, having starred in Sam Raimi's 1990 cult hit "Darkman" and George Lucas' highly polarizing 1999 prequel "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" but prior to 2009, the man was primarily known for starring in biopics such as "Rob Roy," "Michael Collins," "Kinsey," and Steven Spielberg's critically-acclaimed 1993 historical drama "Schindler's List." He was also Hollywood's go-to guy for mentor roles. After appearing in "The Phantom Menace" as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, Neeson would go on to play several mentor-type characters where he dispenses a few words of wisdom before dying, usually at the hands of the main villain, although this was subverted in 2005's "Batman Begins." Pierre Morel's "Taken," however, changed everything. Premiering in various parts of the world in 2008, the Luc Besson-penned action thriller was finally released in the United States in early 2009 and while reception among critics was mixed (58% on Rotten Tomatoes), the film went on to become a surprise financial success, grossing over $226.8 million worldwide against a $25 million production budget. The poster's tagline 'I will find you, and I will kill you' became an oft-repeated catchphrase and Neeson, who thought he was making a straight-to-video action film, was officially transformed into a bona fide bad-ass. Since then, the actor has tussled with bloodthirsty wolves ("The Grey") and alien invaders ("Battleship") and now he has to stop a hijacking 40,000 feet in the air in Jaume Collet-Serra's latest film "Non-Stop." It's preposterously plotted and full of logic holes but despite these glaring flaws, "Non-Stop" remains a thoroughly entertaining and captivating thrill ride thanks to Neeson's presence, who continues to prove that you only get more bad-ass with age.

U.S. Federal Air Marshal Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a broken shell of a man who's taken to alcoholism to cope with his crumbling personal life. Tasked with protecting the passengers onboard British Aqualantic flight 10, which is traveling non-stop from New York City to London, Marks settles in for the six-hour trip by chatting up seatmate Jen Summers (Julianne Moore). However, what is supposed to be an uneventful flight soon takes a dark turn when the air marshal receives a suspicious text message stating that someone on the plane will be killed every twenty minutes unless $150 million is wired to a specific bank account. Breaking protocol, Marks consults with fellow air marshal Jack Hammond (Anson Mount), who believes the text to be a simple prank and explains that they shouldn't report anything unless something tangible happens. Deciding to err on the side of caution, Marks informs Captain David McMillan (Linus Roache) of the situation, who voices his skepticism of how someone would carry out such a threat and get away with it while they're in the air. When the allotted time passes and a dead body is found, Marks is forced to take the threat seriously and pairs lead flight attendant Nancy (Michelle Dockery) with passenger Jen in order to locate the perpetrator. The air marshal begins to suspect everyone and comes to realize that for the terrorists, it was never about the money; it was about setting him up to take the fall.

There's an eerie 'art imitates life' moment in Jaume Collet-Serra's "Non-Stop" where a number of passengers, led by vacationing NYPD cop Austin Reilly (Corey Stoll), attempts to physically restrain Bill Marks after seeing a television news report labeling him as a burnt-out Federal air marshal suddenly gone rogue. Fighting back, Marks tries to quell the crowd by explaining that there is a bomb onboard (of course) but his pleas fall on deaf ears and the situation only worsens when one of the suspects, Tom Bowen (Scoot McNairy), grabs ahold of his gun. With the clock ticking down, Marks comes clean with everything and admits that what the news report said about him was all true; he is an alcoholic whose personal life is in shambles since his daughter succumbed to leukemia at age five. He was not a good father and is not the best person but Marks makes it clear that he is no terrorist. 'I'm not hijacking this plane. I'M TRYING TO SAVE IT!' he screams at the passengers. Its well-acted moments like these that rescue "Non-Stop" from its plot-hole ridden script but Bill Marks' innocence was never really in question considering the fact that he's played by Liam f*cking Neeson. The Irish-born actor previously collaborated with Collet-Serra in 2011's "Unknown," which was basically a "Taken" clone but with the main character suffering from amnesia and the locale switched from Paris to Berlin. Performance-wise, "Non-Stop" doesn't ask much of Neeson and though the actor can phone in his role and still watch the box office money roll in, he fortunately does not and reliably captures the gruff, no-nonsense determination of his character while even adding a bit of depth. Written by newcomers Ryan Engle, John W. Richardson, and Christopher Roach, the script is pretty much an exercise in genre clichés as it predictably casts suspicion onto every character and while there are plot holes aplenty, Collet-Serra keeps audiences from focusing on them with his tight pacing and reliably heightens up the tension with a few visual flourishes like the text bubbles between Marks and the suspect. However, the story bungles its ending when it sloppily ties the hijackers' intentions with 9/11. It's a cheap and exploitative move on the writers' part yet Neeson glides along completely immune to the film's problems and when he gets to indulge in some ass-kicking, "Non-Stop" becomes a downright entertaining action thriller.

This is entirely Neeson's show but he's supported by a solid cast led by Julianne Moore and Michelle Dockery (from the hit television series "Downton Abbey"). Granted, most of them aren't afforded much character development beyond 'the flight attendant,' 'the hot-tempered NYPD cop on vacation,' 'the shady schoolteacher,' and 'the racially profiled middle-eastern' yet they do a good enough job of keeping the audience on their toes as they try to discern who the true culprit really is. It also helps that Collet-Serra has chosen to fill these smaller roles with talented actors like Linus Roache, Scoot McNairy, Corey Stoll, Anson Mount, Omar Metwally, and recent Academy Award nominee Lupita Nyong'o.

Released on February 28, 2014, "Non-Stop" has received mixed reviews with 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is on par with Neeson's recent action-oriented efforts. Critics noted that the Irish actor 'is undoubtedly an asset [but the film] wastes its cast—not to mention its solid premise and tense setup—on a poorly conceived story that hinges on a thoroughly unbelievable final act.' While all that is objectively true, there comes a time when you have to say 'F*ck it, it's Liam Neeson.' This is one of those times and it looks like audiences are continuing to embrace him as an action hero, with "Non-Stop" opening to an estimated $10 million on Friday. However, whether the film debuts at number one at the domestic box office is still in question since "Son of God" (a condensed version of the History channel's ten-hour 2013 miniseries "The Bible") has managed gross $9.4 million despite receiving worse reviews. Jaume Collet-Serra knows exactly what kind of film he's making and while there are a few bumps along the way, "Non-Stop" manages to deliver suspense, thrills, and enough Neeson ass-kickery that moviegoers have grown to love. I just hope that he's protecting me the next time I'm on a long flight because Liam Neeson is a real American hero…from Northern Ireland.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5

"I'm not hijacking this plane. I'M TRYING TO SAVE IT!"