Tuesday 27 May 2014

Non Stop (2014)


Liam Neeson is the John Wayne of the 21st century. For his audience he does not make a bad movie.  He really broke through with Schindlers List, but it was Taken that made him iconic. This movie like Known has a very Taken flavor. I did not recognize any other actors in this movie. Michelle Dockery is very well known to Downton Abbey fans, in a very similar movie and role (Executive Outcome)Halle Berry was more compelling. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o is no more than a placeholder here.

Jaume Collet-Serra has directed a handful of movies Known and Non-Stop amongst them. He is someone to watch. You cant take your eyes off the screen for a second in Non Stop, he keeps the atmosphere tense and suspenseful right to the end.

Rotten Tomatoes gave it sixty percent with lots of criticism for the plot. I disagree its hard to bring something new to a two hour movie that takes place at 35,000 ft. While this movie does not quite soar, it is a superior effort all round.

Four Stars


Wednesday 21 May 2014

3 Days to Kill (2014)


The script is by French Icon Luc Besson.  He also had a writing credit in the very similar movie Taken. However in this movie Kevin Costner has the Liam Neeson role and his daughter is never really in danger. The movie goes awry for this reason. Sometimes the dialogue and father daughter relationship just does not fit.  I would call it Taken lite and poorly. If you like Kevin Costner, and I do, you will like this movie. But I would not invest a great deal in it. Rotten Tomatoes crushed it  but I will give it a solid pass.

two point six stars