Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven
Now available on DVD from director Jaume Collet-Serra and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment comes an action packed flight to remember that’s NON-STOP.
Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is an air marshal in the middle of a life crisis. Unhappy with life and his job he takes to the bottle prior to boarding an across the ocean flight.
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Seated next to him is Jen Summers (Julianne Moore) who helps him during the stressful take off. Within minutes of the flight stabilizing in the air Marks receives a text on a secure phone informing him that a passenger will be killed every 20 minutes unless a large sum of money is deposited in an account.
Marks thinks that the other air marshal on board, Jack Hammond (Anson Mount) is responsible. But things go horribly wrong and continue that way as the pilot is told that the money would be going into an account in Marks’ name.
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Stewardesses Nancy (Michelle Dockery) and Gwen (Lupita Nyong’o) try to keep the passengers calm as Marks begins to search. Needing to find out where the texts are coming from, Zack White (Nate Parker) tries to decode Marks’ phone.
Enlisting the help of Jen the search becomes frantic when the pilot is found dead. Calling on Dr. Nasir (Omar Metwally), Marks now knows that no one else can save the passengers.
But those same passengers want answers. In a group led by Reilly (Corey Stoll), Mitchell (Corey Hawkins), Wheeler (Frank Deal) and Bowen (Scoot McNairy) they begin to confront Marks.
As the pieces come together one fact becomes clear – there is no turning back!
FINAL WORD: Liam Neeson as Bill Marks does what he has been doing best for the past few years – making audiences cheer! From the moment this actor steps into frame his expressions and demeanor tell a story within the story. Obviously Neeson has made a bigger name for himself with the TAKEN films but he continues to excite audiences with his underdog roles. It’s a great formula and I say if it ain’t broke – don’t fix it!
Moore as Jen is interesting in that the character brings intrigue but its not huge intrigue. There isn’t an instant where I thought she would be the bad guy but instead just the mysterious lady in the seat next to the air marshal.
Dockery as Nancy is an immediate presence in the film and seems to be the only one who trusts in what Marks is trying to do. I mean personally I’d probably be okay for a bit but after a while with the body count going up I’d not be so pleasant of a stewardess. Nyong’o as Gwen is not given a large role but she is definitely recognizable from her role in 12 YEARS A SLAVE.
It was fantastic to see Stoll as Reilly, the hotheaded New York cop, since his horrible demise in the NetFlix series HOUSE OF CARDS. I loved him in that series and really enjoyed this different character in NON-STOP. There is always one loud bad ass and Reilly plays it full tilt.
Other cast includes: Shea Whigham as Agent Marenick, Jason Harner as Kyle Rice, and Quinn McColgan as Becca.
TUBS OF POPCORN: I give NON-STOP four tubs of popcorn out of five and I’m sticking to my guns. Yes, I will give almost anything Liam Neeson does a high mark and he deserves it. I don’t write too much in detail because honestly because it will totally ruin it. The intrigue of the film is where the fun is so don’t look for me to mess with that!
It is captivating, filled with action and intense adding to the twists and turns of the storyline. This isn’t rocket science folks, but instead a large-tub-of-popcorn-everybody-share-night at the movies! Everyone around me was jumping, laughing, shouting out and walked out happy – isn’t that what it’s all about?
The combo pack by Universal Home Entertainment includes a Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD Ultraviolet that instantly streams or downloads to your television, computer, table and smartphone. The pack also includes Blu-ray Exclusives such as NON-STOP ACTION with director Collet-Serra, stunt coordinator Mark Vanselow, producer Joel Silver and the films star Liam Neeson.
Also, included is SUSPENSE AT 40,000 feet with a inside look at scenes with Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore discussing the making of NON-STOP!
It’s DOWNTON ABBEY dealing in HOUSE OF CARDS with 12 YEARS A SLAVE and a dash of TAKEN ON A PLANE and worth every moment of fun.
In the end – the hijacking was only the beginning!
