When Taken premiered back in 2009, the film was somewhat of a phenomenon.
Thanks to a a memorable, and often quoted, monologue along with spectacular fight scenes, the movie revitalized Liam Neeson’s career and made him an action star. Unfortunately, this revitalization led to Neeson taking almost any film he was offered and left the audience with one watered down attempt at an action movie after another.
Non-Stop is the latest Neeson movie to be described this way, and even though it wouldn’t exist without Taken, it features very little of what made the original hit such an entertaining thrill ride.
Non-Stop follows Bill Marks, an alcoholic air marshall who receives text messages threatening passengers aboard his flight. As with any Liam Neeson action film, there is an emphasis on the main character’s relationship with his daughter, but it only serves to make Marks a more enjoyable protagonist and highlight all the flaws in every other aspect of the movie.
Even the most interesting aspect of the film’s exposition, Marks communication with the terrorist via text message, is hampered by simple design choices that seem too silly. When Marks is texting the terrorist or receiving texts, the messages appear hovering in the air. For the first time it felt like a movie had figured out how to appropriately display texting, a communication method which has previously seemed impossible to film.
Unfortunately the director chose to include predictive text so Marks cell phone would fill in what it believed he was about to say. For such a tense film, this feature seems extremely laughable and pulls you out of the experience as you hear fellow audience members chuckle.
All these flaws, however, could have been overlooked if the movie was able to deliver a satisfying conclusion to a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately the big reveal, in the end, is so preposterous, you are left feeling robbed and upset over how much potential the filmmakers squandered.
Non-Stop, sadly, is still the best big budget action movie to come out in the past two weeks, despite all its flaws. Its tense plot and charismatic lead do all they can to leave you entertained and for much of the movie succeed in that aspect. It is just sad that they couldn’t have done more, in terms of the reveal, with the wonderful premise they had crafted.
