The age-old adage comes up again: “critics don’t matter.” Of course, it really depends on the film and if audiences are feeling remotely unsure of the product. But some films are just critic proof, and it seems like the “Taken” movies are firmly among those ranks. “Taken 3” earned an estimated $40.4 million this weekend, taking the top spot and perhaps signaling that audiences needed some kind of break from serious Oscar-bait dramas. The opening is about 18% down from “Taken 2,” but considering the absolutely awful 12% Rotten Tomatoes score, that’s a pretty damn good figure (it’s also the second highest all-time January opening). Is it the last of the series? We can only hope, but Liam Neeson looks like he’s already continuing down the old-guy-beating-people-up path with the upcoming “Run All Night.”
Expanding onto 2,157 screens, Paramount’s “Selma” had a good weekend, breaking into the #2 spot. $11.2 million isn’t amazing (some would call it a disappointing expansion)...
