'Non-Stop'

Liam Neeson needs to stop. His career is beginning to echo the pathetic likes of Nicholas Cage’s. Neither of them seem to know how to say “no.”

In “Non-Stop,” Neeson resumes his consistent role as a badass with a dark past who needs to save someone. This time it’s a flight of 150 passengers on their way to London.

Neeson plays Bill Marks, a U.S. Air Marshal with a drinking problem. Once the flight is in the air, Marks begins receiving anonymous text messages. The messenger threatens to kill a passenger every 20 minutes unless $150 million is transferred to a specified bank account.

As Marks investigates, his already damaged reputation deteriorates. His frantic behavior attracts the suspicion of the flight attendants, pilots and the passengers. And thanks to technology, the rest of the country is able to see him in action, sending the media into a frenzy.

Dubbed a terrorist, Marks races to save the plane and prove his innocence before it lands.

From the opening scene, we’re made to feel sorry for Marks. We see him pour liquor into his coffee and we know he’s suffering through an internal struggle. The lack of trust from the passengers and other characters drives him closer to the edge and the audience is forced to sympathize.

Julianne Moore’s character, Jen Summers, plays a large part in building our sympathy. Summers sits next to Marks on the plane and through her we see his discomfort and urgency. She becomes the only one who believes in Marks.

Moore could have been a great supporting actress had the writers given her a little more depth. She retains her trust in Marks for no justifiable reason other than feeling that he’s “a good man.” It’s not believable when every news station in the country is accusing him of hijacking the plane she’s on board.

The action is unimpressive, and that might be because of Neeson. We’ve seen him do the same tricks in films such as “Taken” and “Unknown.”  The fights are predictable and the explosions are rudimentary.

The story is just as uninspiring. The dark knight trope is overplayed, especially by Neeson. The first half is all about getting to know his character, and the second half is about the action.

There are a few twists and surprises that hook the audience just before the clichés can push them away. But no surprise made us doubt the outcome of the film. We know that Marks is going to come out on top. We know he’s going to succeed because it’s Liam Neeson and Liam Neeson doesn’t lose.

Everything works out too well, and it’s annoying. For an action film, it was played Disney safe. Director Juame Collet-Serra needs a lesson in “kill your darlings.” In a genre where characters constantly take risks, he should get up the courage to follow suit and take another one.

And seriously Neeson, it’s OK to say no to the occasional action flick.