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!"
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