Non-Stop

After a great introduction, I was full of hope and hoped that it wouldn't be spoiled... But it was. As time went on, the film became more and more futile, the various characters behaved more or less stupidly, and the repetitive "killer twenty minutes" started to look almost ridiculous as the filmmakers tried to cram in some action... By and large, Liam Neeson saved the day as the paranoid alcoholic, although he was given a much better opportunity in Unknown (not to mention the excellent The Grey). Yes, I was curious all the time with regard to "what, who, how and why", but sometimes something was just so evident that I couldn't miss it. Three and a half.__P.S. My favorite composer John Ottman unpleasantly surprised me with the bland music, which is a pity. (03/07/2014)

The duo of Jaume Collet-Serra and Liam Neeson works very well for me. This is a proper thriller that hits the gas from the start and hurtles forward at a furious and unstoppable pace. It has a few twists and turns, surprises, there are a quantum of decent ideas and the finale is both technically and visually breathtaking. Once again, my favorite actor did not disappoint. Pure thrilling fun! 80% (06/10/2014)

You’ll keep telling yourself that if the screenwriters don’t mess it up, it’s going to be a perfect aero-thriller. Non-Stop has a fast pace, a charismatic lead actor, rising paranoia and escalating suspense. But the screenwriters do mess it up, and even though the suspense remains, the film gradually loses its seriousness and in the end leaves you smiling indulgently over another silly action flick with a 1990s mentality (as you could expect from a Joel Silver production). A piece of advice: if everyone on the plane thinks you’re a terrorist and the situation gets out of hand, just tell them that your daughter died of cancer. (03/04/2014)

A solid average that’s nothing to write home about. There’s an undeniable partial originality in terms of visuals (the text messages in the background, etc.) and in terms of the progression of the plot, when Liam Neeson, as a retired Marshall, falls into solid paranoia in the first act, but that's about it for anything truly interesting. And no, don't expect any action this time, this is not Taken. The only truly interesting fight is the opening one in the toilet, and it doesn’t get any better than that. On the other hand, what is not missing is the traditionally overblown ending and the digital landing. (03/17/2014)

Liam Neeson has found his niche as the character of an aging alcoholic desperately fighting for a good cause, and I can’t say I’m not a fan. This time it was not enough for four stars, though. The logical inconsistencies and melodramatic-clichéd speeches were too much for me. Having said that, I wasn’t bored, and the cast was great, so a 3*+. (01/01/2017)