Blu-ray Review: ‘Non-Stop’ Has Formulaic Script But Fresh Thrills

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CHICAGO – “Non-Stop” gave audiences more than just “‘Taken’ on a plane” when it opened last February, and showed that the inflight experience is efficiently vulnerable action thriller territory. With audiences having taken a break from commercial airline chaos after 9/11, “Non-Stop” brought viewers back into the peril of an unsafe flight, but with a leading hero by Liam Neeson at the helm. Nevertheless, even when knowing how the flight ends, “Non-Stop” is a refined thriller that still has a grip on one’s attention in a second viewing as well.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Director Jaume Collet-Sera creates a visually smooth experience out of a script that isn’t as air tight, but is also too tricky to be entirely predictable. Neeson continues to do what he does best, without having to really change his inherent action movie image from how audiences see him. The combination of the two creates a distinct film experience, with a intensity that keeps this thing in the air from start to finish.

“Non-Stop” is an action spectacle that needs a special feature to properly overview its filmmaking process, and this Blu-ray has two of those. They’re the only special features on this disc, but I digress. The swooping cameras, tricky closed-space fight scenes, and massive artificial set all get their due, even though the creation behind this film could explain itself for much longer. Still, the the remarks about the cast members concerning this movie’s thematic immediacy show the active discussion that is within “Non-Stop,” and confirm that it is one of the more provocative thrillers to be released in a while, a strong reason for its success that will surely continue onto smaller screens.

Non-Stop was released on Blu-ray on June 10, 2014
Photo credit: Universal

Synopsis: An air marshal with a tragic past named Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is taunted on board a flight by an anonymous passenger who secretly kills off people one-by-one. While trying to control the situation, Marks is tricked into taking the passengers hostage, with everyone questioning the amount of safety they feel with him holding the only gun.

Special Features:
o ‘Non-Stop’ Action
o Suspense at 40,000 Feet
o DVD Copy of “Non-Stop”
o Digital Copy of “Non-Stop”

By Nick Allen
Contributor
HollywoodChicago.com