As long as the concept of watching "Taken" on a plane doesn't completely revolt you, "Non-Stop" might just be the perfect movie to get you past the influx of inept action flicks that have cruised through theaters in the last couple of months. Though it's every bit as ridiculous as you probably expect it to be, "Non-Stop" is a competent bit of action mayhem that gives us another gritty Liam Neeson role and provides enough thrills to get us to the finish line. "Non-Stop" may be high-concept Hollywood at its most formulaic, but it's also an example of how well the formula can work if you have the right actor and don't try to reinvent the wheel. Like several of Neeson's recent thriller roles, we know before Bill Marks does anything in "Non-Stop" that he's not a man to be trifled with. He may be a downtrodden ex-cop with a depressing backstory and a history of alcoholism, but deep down we know that when things get serious on a plane, he's the guy you want as the air marshal. After lamely tossing in a storyline containing the untimely death of his young daughter, "Non-Stop" quickly moves to setting up the action pieces. When Marks ends up on a plane headed from New York to London, we get the sense that something just isn't right. As many will already know from the TV spots, Marks soon gets a text message on a secure line stating that someone on the plane is going to be killed every 20 minutes unless a very large sum of money is wired to a specified account. After Marks delves into the situation and attempts to investigate

it turns out the threat is of the serious variety, and it isn't long before deaths are beginning to pile up. In true thriller fashion, the plot doesn't remain headed in the original direction, however, and soon Marks finds the situation complicated by a myriad of factors, leading him to the conclusion that no one can be trusted as he tries to hunt down the villain. Is the flirtatious Jen (Julianne Moore) involved in the plot? How about the helpful stewardess (Michelle Dockery)? Or the sinister looking loudmouth (Corey Stoll)? With the stakes sky-high as Marks tries to foil a terrorist plot in midair over the Atlantic, "Non-Stop" finds plenty of opportunities for hand-to-hand fighting and even shootouts, though its mainly Neeson's ability to come off as a hero to root for in the down time that keeps "Non-Stop" ticking from one twist to the next. Of course, if you're a moviegoer who simply can't help but laugh at absurdities and inconsistencies, "Non-Stop" offers plenty of reasons to chuckle. Though it presents itself as being within the realm of the real world, the movie is also as manipulative as most thrillers of its genre and it doesn't take long to realize that we're dealing with a Hollywood daydream. After a series of twists, turns and "gotcha" moments, "Non-Stop" makes it clear as day that it's best to enjoy the ride and try not to ask too many questions that could pull the plot apart at the seams.