Liam Neeson returns to theaters in Non-Stop, an aircraft hijacking thriller that is thankfully not 'Taken on a plane'. The film is wildly implausible, so absurd it absolutely requires a hearty willing suspension of disbelief. But the upside is you're in for a good time once all logic is checked at the door. Non-Stop has a frenetic pace that flows smoothly with the whodunit plot. Its mystery elements are very engaging, as the audience and protagonist guess who is the puppeteer pulling the strings.

Neeson stars as Bill Marks, an alcoholic air marshal with heavy personal baggage. His normal duty policing a flight from New York to London is interrupted by a cryptic text message on his secure cell phone. An anonymous villain claims that someone on the plane will die every twenty minutes unless $150 million dollars is deposited into a specified account. Marks relays the threat to the pilots, his superiors, a fellow air marshal on board (Anson Mount), and the head flight attendant (Michelle Dockery). Everyone is skeptical of the threat, until an important passenger dies as scheduled. Panic sets in on the plane as Marks struggles to understand how the texts are being sent. As another person dies like clockwork, it is revealed that the deposit account for the ransom is in the name of Bill Marks. Soon the passengers and security on the ground begin to believe that Marks is the hijacker and responsible for this elaborate deception. Marks must clear his name while securing the plane and unmasking the villain. His only ally it seems is Jen (Julianne Moore), a well traveled passenger that just happens to be sitting beside him when the killings start.

Non-Stop takes off like a rocket and holds the established tension well throughout the film. The ensemble cast is a bit stereotypical, but sufficiently aids Neeson in developing a convincing response to the events as the occur. Everything happens within the confines of the aircraft, so there is a claustrophobia that creeps in as characters shuffle through different parts of the plane. Spanish Director Jaume Collet-Serra had worked with Neeson previously on Unknown. He's smart to keep Neeson in almost every frame as the audience guide through the plot. We see the story through Neeson's character, so if we didn't believe him, then the entire film would fall apart.

I was pretty engaged by Non-Stop, trying to guess who on the plane is the baddie orchestrating the killings. That's what makes the movie fun. Every character introduced, including Marks, is a suspect. The entire plot is spectacularly unrealistic, so once you accept the fantasy, then you can enjoy the film for a popcorn thrill ride. I was able to accurately guess who the villain was, but did not see another twist that's revealed during the climax. It's a fairly well staged surprise, so not too much out of left field upon further review.

Non-Stop requires you to be devoid of all skepticism. It does not hold up under scrutiny. The story can be picked apart like a buzzard on road kill. But if you want some breezy entertainment after a long day, then this film delivers in spades. Neeson seems to have a knack for picking action flicks that are crowd pleasers. Non-stop is similar to the Taken series and Unknown in this regard, which is exactly what the studio is hoping for at the box office this weekend.