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Not long ago, Liam Neeson was best known for his serious roles in dramatic films like Schindler’s List, Michael Collins, and Les Misérables. But then came Taken (see Michael’s review), an intense thriller that turned the 50-something star into an unlikely action hero. Now, for his latest breakneck adventure, he takes to the skies in Non-Stop.
In this airline thriller, Neeson stars as Bill Marks, a troubled federal air marshal who’s covering an overnight flight from New York to London. Midway through an otherwise uneventful flight, he gets an anonymous text from a passenger who threatens to kill someone on the plane every 20 minutes unless the airline wires $150 million into an off-shore bank account. Marks begins quietly investigating, unsure whether the threat is real. But then the bodies begin piling up, and it’s made to look as though the marshal is to blame—not a mysterious passenger.
Framed for masterminding a hijacking, Marks pulls out all the stops to clear his name and catch a killer while trying to keep the plane’s passengers safe.
Like most action stars, Neeson has his own action style. When you go to see him in an action movie, you generally know what to expect. Neeson’s characters are usually tough and gritty and more than a little intense—and that’s definitely the case here. Marks is damaged and angry—and the more things go spiraling out of his control, the more unhinged he becomes. But no matter how crazed he gets, there’s just something about him—and the likable actor portraying him—that will keep you rooting for him, even as you cringe at his sometimes excessive actions.
The story, too, is intense and suspenseful—at least for most of the film. As the mystery unfolds and the plot begins to twist, the urgency of the situation will easily hold your attention. At times, it’s silly—and it’s definitely over the top—but that’s to be expected. What matters is that it’s anything but dull.
Unfortunately, the action and intensity don’t hold up through the entire film. After a while, the story begins to feel somewhat drawn out—and the action starts to feel repetitive. And it all comes together in a conclusion that feels cheap and contrived.
While the film’s conclusion is a bit of a let-down, though, most of Non-Stop is exactly as advertised: an action-packed thriller with a reliable star and a suspenseful story. So if you could use an adrenaline rush to pull you out of the winter blahs, skip the espresso and head to the theater instead.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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