‘Taken 2’ took the box office by storm this weekend, raking in $50 million in its debut.
Filmgoers came out in droves to watch star Liam Neeson revisit the roll that turned him into an action star and a household name.
‘Taken 2’ brought in twice as much revenue in it opening weekend than the original ‘Taken’ earned during its debut in 2009. However, the critics are not quite as taken with the sequel. Entertainment Weekly called it “silly, nasty and lazy” and a reviewer for the Chicago Tribune called ‘Taken 2,’ “an artless slaughter-fest.”
Reviewers agree that the Oscar-nominated Neeson is impressive in the roll of an ex-CIA agent who is out to save his kidnapped family and will kill anyone who gets in his way. However, his performance doesn’t make up for the rampant plot holes.
Despite the bad reviews, ‘Taken 2’ trounced the competition at the box office. ‘Hotel Transylvania,’ an animated comedy starring Selena Gomez brought in $26.3 million. The Anna Kendrick musical comedy, ‘Pitch Perfect,’ landed in third place with $14.7 million.
We will find out in the coming weeks whether the poor reviews with keep audiences from coming out to watch Neeson kick butt and save his family.
Watch the ‘Taken 2’ trailer below:
