I believe I had mentioned in a previous review…well, maybe not in THIS detail…that it appears the older generation of actors are striving to take back some days of their youth and try their hand at modern action/thriller based films. Stallone & Schwarzenegger are two of WORST offenders to me at this point, especially from the standpoint that for the TYPE and STYLE of films they’re mostly TRYING (I emphasize this word BIG time here) to do…..sorry guys, but honestly, you had your day and I USED to look forward to your films….but not anymore. Then we had this a surprise film (for me anyway) this year in “3 Days To Kill“, where Kevin Costner proved he can manage to shoot it up with the best of them AND learn to be a father again, while doing it in a believable way. BUT….then we have Liam Neeson. Leading the way with, in particular, 2008’s “Taken“, Mr. Neeson REALLY showed that age will NOT slow down a former government agent on a mission, especially when it comes to family. And while retirement may not be in the picture in this most recent effort, his character has hard past that tries to keep him down. BUT…yet again…NOT today. I give you “Non-Stop”.
Re-teaming with his “Unknown” director Jaume Collet-Serra, the story finds world-weary, apparently alcoholic US Air Marshall Bill Marks (Neeson) hesitantly leaving his vehicle, entering an airport terminal (where we initially get quick looks at certain individuals at the departure gate), and ultimately getting on the international flight from London to New York as its passengers’ designated guardian (while doing his duty to assist a little girl who’s flying for the first time and afraid to board), even though we see that his enthusiasm to do so is LESS than stellar (having had some argumentative phone calls we see beforehand). Once on board, and having again been treated to more camera pans over specific people, he settles in with seatmate Jen Summers (Julianne Moore), who proceeds to chat him up and assist him with his OWN fear about flying….taking off. Once airborne and a little into the flight, complete with some random interactions with Jen, a flight attendant Nancy (Michelle Dockery), and a cigarette in the lavatory, Marks finally seems somewhat content. And that is when the story really starts.
Getting a ring tone from his secure network phone, he starts receiving texts from an unknown person, who identifies themselves as a passenger on the plane and who first proves they have been watching him. Marks does his best to try and find out who the person is, scanning both cabin sections, but to no avail. Then, the mystery texter advises that unless $150 million is placed in a provided bank account within 20 minutes….one of the passengers will die. Despite the threat, Marks is skeptical, getting the attention of the other Air Marshall on board, Jack Hammond (Anson Mount), whom he thinks is playing a sick prank on him. Once establishing that it isn’t Hammond, Bill advises the plane’s pilot, Capt. McMillan (Linus Roache) and co-pilot Kyle Rice (Jason Butler Harner) to the situation, trying to determine if they should divert if the threat is credible. And then things REALLY get crazy…as the first 20 minutes ends with a couple of jarring twists that suddenly start shining a light on Marks. Meanwhile, more people start dying, and as events escalate, we see how one wrong impression can lead to full blown paranoia, fear, rash action, doubt, and ultimately complete chaos. The film does a great job in pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes constantly, but not annoyingly, as WE try and try to figure out exactly WHO is REALLY the person causing all of this and toward what ends while Marks is doing the same while ALSO trying to keep SOME semblance of order and calmness to the agitated passengers. Some he has to restrain, as happens with Tom Bowen (Scott McNairy) while others he solicits assistance from, like Nancy, Jen, and a computer expert Zack (Nate Parker). By the time Marks finally gets to the bottom of the whole master plan, we are about ready to collapse from the sheer weight of how it all turned out and how all the characters we’ve been on this flight with have played their part in it, for good or ill. AND we also get a more detailed glimpse into Marks’ OWN life that sheds a lot of light on who he is.
Without hesitation, I will definitely say I loved this film a LOT more than Collet-Serra’s “Unknown”, even though they were totally different stories. The pacing of it, the action that unfolds over time, and especially the text conversations being displayed in the air around Marks so we don’t have to read some close-up of a little screen consistently…it all works together to bring us a high-altitude thriller that, just being honest, DOES play on our inner fears about ever wanting to get on an international flight, or any plane for that matter, in this day and age of so much strife and terrorism. BUT….please DON’T stop flying to your vacations or home for the holidays, peeps, as this IS just a film. And as expected, while there are plenty of solid supporting performances here, the real winner is our leading man, Liam Neeson. The thing that gets me is that I COMPLETELY buy into this character as played by him. It really lends the film its sense of being grounded (no pun intended…well, actually…) in reality, as you just see Neeson play this guy for what he is….weary, beaten down by some life circumstances, doing a job that he’s good at but you really think he might not WANT to anymore, and yet finding the fortitude to rise above it and be the hero. Neeson doesn’t OVERplay the role, but lends his character that level of vulnerability along with the driving resolve to save people’s lives, including his own, in multiple ways. The final act’s action sequences (along with earlier ones here and there) were awesome and just put a cap on ALL the tension that was building up throughout the film. If you REALLY have to nitpick, was this film new territory…of course not. But it’s Liam that really makes this what was intended, and he is SO proving that THIS action star is here to stay.
As always, this is all for YOUR consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
