Cinema Reviews
Non-Stop Review
Liam Neeson continues to crack out those action thrillers, this time he is an air marshall on a flight that is in danger from one of its passengers. Someone is sending him private texts to his work phone threatening to kill someone every 20 minutes if he does not deliver 150 million to a secure account.
It probably doesn’t help that our hero has quite a shady past, is an alcoholic and really has few faces he can trust on the flight. So the cat and mouse chase begins as he sets about finding ways of identifying the culprit!
It’s all nonsense of course, but with a game supporting cast and Neeson on fine form in the lead – it’s fun nonetheless. Anyone expecting a thriller with a finely tuned script weaved to perfection from the likes of say William Goldman, and directed by David Fincher, move on. Those who really do get a kick out of the euro-trash thrillers Neeson has associated himself with (And his Unknown director returns to take the helm here) then strap in as you are in for a fun ride.
The issues? Well it would be nice if Neeson would return to the bone cracking uber-violence of Taken (of which even its own sequel pandered to the 12A audience), but at least Non-Stop tests the limits of its rating. Julianne Moore is perhaps the most wasted opportunity – but seems t be having fun sitting in the isles.
As Taken set in stone – Neeson as “Action Hero” is critic proof. You may have heard assorted rumblings on this one, rest assured most of it is probably true, but it’s merely a question of you being the sort of audience member who doesn’t mind what is being served in coach, instead of a stuffed shirt who needs everything first class and has no means of enjoying any other sort of company.
Steven Hurst