(SPOILER WARNING!!! This article does contain spoilers, if you haven’t seen the movie, just see the first paragraph to be informed without spoilers!!!)

Non-Stop was a thrilling edge of your seat movie at the beginning, but the ending could have used some fine tuning in all aspects of the movie with some loopholes. However, it is still a good watch seeing Liam Neeson at his best. Rating 4 out of 5 Stars.

There are a selective few actors that what ever movie they’re in, I have to watch. Liam Neeson is definitely one of those actors. I stated to like him a lot in Batman Begins when he was playing Ras Al Ghul. Then I really started watching his movies after he did Taken. Taken is one of my favorite movies, and one big reason because you see Neeson acting with a lot of grit, intensity, and power. He pretty much became a well known action star of the past 10 years, and what’s great is that he could act in other roles as well like his Academy Award nomination in Schindler’s List. This guy has it all in his acting, and is definitely in my list of favorite actors. In Non-Stop, he acted well once again, just wish the movie ended well. I will explain starting with what I like, to the so-so, to what I didn’t like.

What I liked in the movie was the first two-thirds of the movie. They developed Neeson’s character, Bill Marks, very well as a depressed alcoholic who had to settle for a job as an Air Marshall after enduring his death of his daughter. The beginning of the movie they showed very well how much of a wreak he is. However, once the plot starts developing, he shows his true sense of leadership and patriotism. The first two thirds of the movie I’m like at the edge of my seat not knowing what is going on, and what’s going to happen. One reason I love thriller movies, cuz I love that type of feeling of not knowing. Neeson’s character, even though he is in a tight space and with all odds against him, still shows his demand of respect, and his intensity and grittiness when it comes to dealing with people who are guilty or not complying. I like the fact that other characters like the stewardess and the co-pilot, played by Michelle Dockery and Jason Butler Harner who knows Bill Marks well, and having the dilemma whether he is telling the truth, or he is really the terrorist. With all the twist and turns, and unexpected deaths, I thought for sure it was Julienne Moore’s character, as Jen Summers.Thrilling movies sometimes go with the person who seems to be a little too friendly and helpful to actually be the villain. I was wrong, and normally that’s a good thing, but not particularly in this movie. (Will explain later.) I also like the brief relationship of Bill Marks and the little girl (couldn’t get her name), shows that Bill Marks still had a heart. I also like that the Middle Eastern guy, which people still gives a stink eye, because of his race, was actually a doctor that help Bill Marks tremendously.

The so-so, for one thing this movie did have the case of what I call trailer spoilers which does affect me. Two cases in this movie is that since they should it on the trailer, I knew it will happen. One is the death of the Captain Pilot, and two is that there is a bomb on the plane. Both would’ve of been excellent plot twists if they didn’t show it in the trailer. It is what it is though, and didn’t really affect the story. The other thing is they didn’t really use Academy Award Winner Lupita Nyong’o character, Gwen Lloyd very effectively. She was pretty much just another stewardess. Maybe the Oscar she one, that won’t happen again.

Now for what I didn’t like, the movie had a lot of potential to be a great movie, and with the first two-thirds of it in I was almost convinced of that. Then the conclusion of the movie happened. First off, the action of it it when the villains were revealed which was Tom Bowen and Zack White, played by Scoot McNairy and Nate Parker. the whole sequence of events after that were completely outrageous. The action where the plane was descending rapidly and they still could maintain balance and shooting accurately was something out of an 80’s action movie. A little too fake if you ask me. The reason for the villains to frame Bill Marks and hijack the plane was very weak. They wanted to show that US security is still weak, and wanted to show the world how weak it is. It would have been better if the reason was money. They really tried to go with the political approach at the end, but to me, it just didn’t work. The fact that a group of people were trying to attack Bill Marks, but all of a sudden stop so he can explain itself, and turns out he’s ok and not the terrorist. A little waek if you ask me. I didn’t like the character of the NYPD Cop, played by Cory Stoll. He was the jerk of the movie, even though every movie needs a jerk, his “I’m an NYPD,” attitude didn’t sit well for me, and almost wished he was fatally shot. (I know it sounds harsh, but I get that feeling with some movie characters.) Also there were a couple loopholes, they didn’t show how they use the poison darts to kill the other two people. They kind of did for the death of the Captain Pilot, bit not really for the other guy that was caught with the cellphone. (It could be that I missed something.) Also, how did the guy who was texteing and threatening Bill Marks know that he was smoking in the lavatory, and that he killed the other Air Marshall. (Maybe he got lucky, who knows.) Also those lavatories are huge, never seen that on a plane. I looked at the history the director of this movie, Jaume Collet-Serra, and his past movies were always subpar. He can direct, I give him credit for that, but I believe he needs to work with better writers to show his true potential in movies he is directing.

Overall, with all the hate I had for the ending of the movie, I still believe it is a good watch. Especially for Liam Neeson fans, they won’t be that disappointed. This movie had the case of great beginning and middle, but weak ending. However, I seen worst endings, and this ending didn’t really affect the whole movie in my opinion. The ending just needed some fine tuning in writing, and it could have been a great movie!!! Rating 4 out of 5!!!