Saturday, March 1, 2014

Non-Stop (2014): Review


This weekend the new Liam Neeson action flick Non-Stop came out and I was hoping that it would be solid and I am sorry to say that I was disappointed with the overall film. It wasn't completely horrible but is not worth paying the money to see in theaters and does not stand up to what I now expect from Liam Neeson.
Non-Stop starts Neeson as Bill Marks, a haggard, alcoholic Air Marshall who is on an international flight to London. In the middle of the flight he is contacted by an unknown passenger on the flight who informs Bill that if 150 million dollars into a bank account.  Bill has to discover who is threatening the people of the plane, while he is being taunted, sent in false directions, and being set up to look as if he is the one who has hijacked the plane.

Bill is surrounded by many possible civilians and claimed allies including fellow passengers: Jen, played by Julianne Moore;  Zack, played by Nate Parker; Tom, played by Scott McNairy; Austin, played by Corey Stoll; Fahim, played by Omar Metwally; and crew members: Nancy, played by Michelle Dockery; Kyle, played by Jason Butler Harner; and Gwen, played by Lupita Nyong'o.
Like I said overall I was disappointed with this movie and I think that the main problem for me is that I didn't really like or care about any of the people.  The best was Moore and this was due to her natural quality on screen and tendency to be likable overall.  I struggled with feeling for Liam Neeson's Bill as it wasn't until a ways into the film that it goes into his back story and why he is tortured and a sympathetic character.  The only one who you really felt sorry for or connected with the fear was little Becca, played by Quinn McColgan, but she felt like she was just put in and got enough screen time so wanted the plane to survival because there was a little girl on it.
The overall feel of the story was one of following what Bill was going through but I think that he made stupid decision was overrun by his emotions and paranoia instead of the haggard, been through too much shit, cool as steel action hero that I expect in movies and who you root for because they are just bad ass.  Because I know Neeson is capable of pulling this off added to my disappointment.  This movie tried to play up the tension that it could be anyone who is the mastermind but again there is too much distraction and paranoia and not enough focus on plot.  This added to the story, which is pretty action basic (small, confined space, with a killer picking them off) it was important that you were drawn in by the acting, scrip, and directing be compelling but it really wasn't for most of the film.
That being said, I did enjoy the ending of the movie and how everything came together one the real danger was identified, if that energy could have gone throughout the movie it would have been much better.
Like I said I was disappointed in the overall movie, but it was better then some that I said, so it would be something that is worth watching on DVD or television, but is not a must see and is no big deal if missed.

My Rating: 1

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