Non-stop

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It's early in the year so it's time for an annual dose of Liam Neeson ass kicking!

Unfortunately the last time for me was with the abysmal Taken 2 so it's been probably since The Grey that we have had a really good time at the theaters with Neeson.

2012 was an odd year for Neeson looking back on it. We had two of his action thrillers, one of which I found to be some of his worst work (not really his fault but more just that the movie was stupid) with Taken 2 and we had what I thought was his best work to date with the deep, R-rated, and intense, The Grey (which you may remember placed 5th in my Top 10 films of 2012).

When I first saw a trailer for Non-stop, Neeson's latest foray in the action genre which he pretty much owns by now, I felt something...I just had a gut feeling that on his spectrum of movies, this one would be near the top. Maybe not more iconic than the original Taken and certainly not topping my high-holding opinions on The Grey...I don't know what it was but I had faith.

So was I right? Or was I wrong?

Let's just say that I'd like to give myself a pat on the back for calling it on both The Lego Movie AND Non-stop this year.

"Are you sure there aren't any wolves on this
plane?!"

There really is no need for this to be a long review because many of you are familiar with these Neeson action flicks by now. The chess pieces are laid out on the board and Neeson owns the screen 110%. Sure there are other actors and actresses there, but these are his movies from beginning to end. In that regard, Neeson kills it again and really is one of the best, most reliable leading men in Hollywood right now. He carries himself with confidence, can kick butt with the best of them, and his Irish-tinged growl is one of the more iconic voices in movies. I never worry about Neeson's contribution to a film and Non-stop is no different.

Plot-wise we have the usual Neeson-becomes-the-leader storyline when he finds out that the plane he is on has been "hijacked" by an anonymous passenger. I was surprised that there really isn't that much action in the film, especially when compared to other movies on Neeson's resume. Instead the film becomes more of a tense Whodunit? that keeps the audience guessing as to who the real terrorists are here. The movie tries to say some things about American media, our lack of security vs. our obsession with it, yada yada yada. I think it successfully takes some good jabs at the media for portraying and crafting a story accusing Neeson of being the terrorist before the plane has even touched the ground, but the true villains' motives are pretty dumb and nonsensical.

"Im tired of all these motherf**king wolves on this motherf**king plane!"

"Why is he so afraid of wolves on this plane?"
"I don't know man. That dog he's
freaking out about was a Husky"

We all know going into a Liam Neeson action film that the only question that needs to be asked is: did I enjoy myself? Most of the time that answer is a definite yes despite the usual B-movie budget. Make no mistake, this is no $100 million film. But they never really need to be. These movies are designed because audiences adore Neeson and want to go on rides with him. He is the quintessential damaged-goods-action-hero. Non-stop doesn't do anything technologically amazing...there are no Oscar worthy performances...and it even gets a bit ridiculous. But because of Neeson and his ongoing personal genre of film we really don't care because we know exactly what we are getting into when we step in the theater.

Sometimes we don't need superheroes to wow us. Sometimes we don't need performances to move us. Other times we don't need technology to blow us away or stories that make us feel tons of emotion.

No. Sometimes when I go to the theater I just want to see the Irish Bear kicking ass and taking names like its no one's business. And for that, there isn't much better than Non-stop.

CONS:

• Not as much action as you may be hoping for
• The attempts to accomplish emotional attachment are mostly failed
• I was left a little disappointed by the villain reveal. Not because I couldn't guess who it was but because I thought they were kind of lame and had some stupid motives
• A few instances where the movie goes down a path to try and solve the mystery and then abandons these clues and doesn't talk about them again
• This is a one-time view film. A great one, yes, but there isn't really a reason for me to have to see it again

PROS:

• Gosh dammit is Liam Neeson fun to watch. At this point I would pretty much follow him anywhere. He commands the screen like not many other actors can these days
• When there is action it's intense and well choreographed. The shootout on the plane with changing cabin pressure is the year's coolest scene so far
• Supporting cast does their job well
• Progresses logically for most of the film. The situation sounds crazy on paper but it almost gets you to believe that it could really happen
• The cat and mouse game between Neeson and the anonymous passenger is fun, well done, well designed, and surprisingly intense
• Even though it's a one-time view I really don't have any hard complaints about it. For a matinee viewing on a snowy Saturday in Denver it was absolutely perfect. I hardly doubt that too many people will come out of the theater thinking that it was a waste of their time

Rath's Review Score: 8/10