'Non-Stop'

Trailer starts promising but then the plot becomes, well, convoluted. Not twisted, not knotted up in a way that makes you roll your eyes, just complex. That would be a given, though, for a movie like this, I suppose.

There's a nice feel to the camera work, like this is designed to appeal to adults as well as teens.

Liam Neeson, of course, has serious presence, makes you feel you spent your money wisely. That would be a given as well. The guy just about redefines the concept of being 'go-to'. He's credible in almost any role.

Then there's Julianne Moore. Why is she in this? The only answer possible, considering her track record, is the script (by John W. Richardson and Christopher Roach) is good, possibly very good (I'm thinking excellent isn't in the cards but, hey, I could wrong). So, that's a good thing.

Director Jaume Collet-Serra is something of a wild card. He's only done TV (as have the writers). However, the thing I find most interesting about him, makes me think he's got chops, is not what he's done but what he's got coming up. 'Run All Night', currently in pre-production, is a thriller about an aging hitman (Neeson once again) who must defend his son against a former boss. This sounds promising and it's got to be a good sign that Neeson would sign up to work with Collet-Serra again before 'Non-Stop' even opens. Ed Harris is in the movie as well and he doesn't work with hacks. Two more good signs.

All that makes me think there's quality here. Some will cite the February opening as being a negative, but I don't think that means anything anymore. Hasn't for a few years. It's just another date in a very crowded field and, increasingly, movies make tons of money before summer.

As such, I'm thinking 'Non-Stop' could have a plot with teeth, no small amount of character arc, and more than one twist (look to Moore's character) worth checking out.

Those are the kinds of things you need to build word of mouth so this should do well at the box office, great as a rental and on TV/cable, etc.