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Sam Urdank/FoxAudiences still love seeing Liam Neeson carrying out his “particular set of skills” even if it’s in a film less than worthy of those skills.
Sometimes bad reviews don’t mean a thing for movies, which was certainly the case with “Taken 3″ this weekend.
The third installment of the series starring Liam Neeson outperformed analyst estimates grossing $40.4 million opening weekend.
That number isn’t higher than the $49 million opening weekend of 2012′s “Taken 2,” which shouldn’t be a big surprise for anyone who’s seen the film. “Taken 3″ does not live up to its predecessors at all.
“Taken 3″ had a lot of potential, deciding to ditch the main villains of the first two films (Albanian mobsters) for a random Russian mob instead.
While the plot of the film pales in comparison to the first two, it was far from the main problem with the sequel. The editing of several big action sequences is so awfully cut together that it causes confusion as to what you’re actually watching on screen. The worst offender is a giant car crash scene on a highway.
The real test will be whether the film can hold over in its second weekend at theaters.
Here’s how the two previous “Taken” films have performed in theaters for comparison:
| Movie | Opening Weekend | Worldwide Gross | Estimated Budget |
| “Taken” (2008) | $24.7 million | $226.8 million | $25 million |
| “Taken 2” (2012) | $49.5 million | $376.1 million | $45 million |
| “Taken 3” (2015) | $40.4 million | $49.9 million so far | $48 million |
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