BOX OFFICE REPORT (OCT. 5-7): Liam Neeson's Special Set of Skills Drives 'Taken 2' to Huge Weekend

1. Taken 2 (N)
$50.00 million ($50.00 million)
In what should be a surprise to no one, Taken 2 dominated at the box office this past weekend, bringing in $50.00 million. For comparison, the original Taken made $25.72 million its opening weekend. Horrible reviews couldn't stop Liam Neeson's latest installment of the "I'm a badass" phase of his career from making some serious money.

With the top five movies all making at least $10 million this weekend, it looks like the box office has recovered from a dreadful few weeks. With Ben Affleck's Argo and Kevin James' Here Comes the Boom coming out next week, this trend should continue.

2. Hotel Transylvania (1)

$26.30 million ($76.00 million)

Hotel Transylvania held on pretty well in its second weekend, defeating Frankenweenie in a battle of Halloween-themed animated movies. If this movie's box office performance teaches Adam Sandler anything, it's that people don't want to see his face in movies anymore.

3. Pitch Perfect (6)

$14.70 million ($21.60 million)
This is actually Pitch Perfect's second weekend in release, with the movie expanding by 2,435 theaters after opening in limited release.

4. Looper (2)

$12.20 million ($40.30 million)
Look, if you found the time to see Taken 2, you have the time to see Looper. Seriously. And in the same vein, if you have the time to see Here Comes the Boom next weekend, you have the time to see Argo. Let's expect a little more of ourselves.

5. Frankenweenie (N)

$11.50 million ($11.50 million)

Had Frankenweenie opened a few weeks ago, it's $11.50 million weekend would have made it No. 1 at the box office. Unfortunately for Frankenweenie, it opened this weekend instead, going up against Hotel Transylvania.

The era of Tim Burton may be over. Over the past few years, Burton had one trick: Remake a property, cast Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in it and put Depp in some crazy costume and makeup. As of Dark Shadows, that trick stopped working, and without that, Burton's lost. This is what happens when a director once known for his creativity stops being adventurous. When he tries to finally do something new again, no one wants to see it.

Next week's predictions:

1. Here Comes the Boom

2. Argo

3. Taken 2

4. Sinister

5. Seven Psychopaths

SOURCE: Box Office Mojo