Non-Stop

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. (04/03/2014)

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. (07/03/2014)

A dull echo of the 1990s, whose cardiogram will drive you straight to the pharmacy for medication. Serra and Neeson would clearly love to create a new stable of action movies combined with a paranoid thriller, but while in Unknown they didn't take a screenwriter to Berlin, the airline to London forgot the captain straight away. Serra uses a lackluster flywheel that leaves Neeson's abilities in economy mode, as well as the entire pace of the narrative. It has a unique gift for moving forward headlong, but it lacks more substantial highlights that would give me a reason to see it again. One men's rendezvous in the bathroom really won't cut it. Actually, this is the first film in which Liam's position as an action titan seemed a bit out of place. There is no non-stop perennial here. (10/09/2014)

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)

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. (17/03/2014)