By Lisa Nault
Staff Writer

The tragedy of 9/11 resulted in tougher airport security but also paranoia throughout the country. People no longer felt safe on planes.

An air marshal’s job is to be ready for crisis in the air, handle the situation appropriately, and give people back their ease of mind. For Bill Marks, this means he is put in a position that tests not only his ability to handle a problem but also allows him to reflect on his own choices.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra (“Orphan”) brings to the screen a new thriller in the sky. “Non-Stop” has several plot problems and overused movie clichés, yet can still be seen as an entertaining film.

The cast is star-studded, from the incredible Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore to Michelle Dockery and recent Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o.

For the role of Bill Marks, a lost soul who has seen his fair share of hardships, Liam Neeson was the perfect choice. He can provide the audience with the dark hero archetype authentically. Neeson makes the character’s darker side relatively believable and keeps the audience’s full support throughout the film.

The problems with the character result from poor script writing and Neeson made the best with what he had.

Moore is a wonderful actress and is capable of so much, and again the problems with her character are the fault of the script, not her performance. Her character, Jen Summers, is very generic. If not for the chemistry Moore and Neeson create between the two characters, she would have been unmemorable.

The film does not directly state that the two leads will end up together but I certainly hope not, because it would be a forced romantic involvement for the sake of a “happily ever after” ending.

Jen Summers is a typical heroine who supports the main character even when nobody else does. She has a few funny lines but other than that she could have easily been out of the script and her plot relevance given to another character.

Dockery and Nyong’o should have been used more in the film, especially Nyong’o. Both play stewardesses who are placed in the difficult position of acting rational in a life or death situation.

Dockery’s performance is great, especially when she must continue to do her work even though she knows the danger that everyone is in. Nyong’o is barely seen in the film. She has a few lines here and there and is seen in the background a few times but that is it.

Normally, this would not be such a problem and good actors sometimes take a back seat in films, but the promotional trailers kept showing her in them. Piggybacking on her success with the Academy Award, the film falsely advertised her role. She pretty much appeared in the trailer more than she did in the film itself.

The plot itself was very far-fetched. To some people, that may be a problem because they can not immerse themselves in the story being told if they cannot move past how far it reaches.

I knew it was far-fetched but did not let that affect how we enjoyed the film. The entire planning of the attack contains multiple plot-holes that are left unanswered in the film. The motive of the antagonist is weak even though it is trying to be deep and meaningful.

The film also throws so many red herrings at the audience it becomes absurd. Literally, the film points to multiple people at one point, the film including people who were seen in a previous scene as being cleared of guilt.
Is it a bad movie? No. The film promises a roller coaster ride in an airplane filled with thrills, suspicion, and action. It delivers on what it promised. The fact that the film sometimes cracks jokes after serious moments implies that the film does not take itself seriously. It is supposed to entertain and not be taken seriously.

One of the cheesiest, most dramatic slow motion, logic-defying scene, is one of the best scenes in the film.

At that moment, the audience I was in all unanimously cheered and laughed. People were clapping in their seats at the sheer stupidity and epicness of this one scene. Almost everyone smiled and rolled their eyes. I cannot describe the scene in such detail that would allow you to visualize the scene— instead, I suggest going to see the movie. And do not worry, you will know the scene when it comes.

The movie is far from perfect but it has its merits. If you want a good movie with a creative story that is deep and complex, then this is not it. If you want a movie with characters that stand out as unique, then this is not what you are looking for. However, if you want a movie to watch while having a good time hanging out with friends, then it is perfect. If you want a movie that you can smile at and be entertained by, it delivers.

“Non-Stop” is worth going to see if you just want to kill a few hours at a theater, eat popcorn, and have a good time.