Liam Neeson's 'Taken 2' tops box office

Critics don't like "Taken 2," but Liam Neeson's action sequel has proved twice the hit among fans than the original movie was.

"Taken 2" led the box office with $50 million domestically over its opening weekend, The Associated Press reports. That's double the haul for Neeson's "Taken," which took in $24.7 million in its U.S. debut in 2009.

"Taken" went on to become a $145 million smash for Neeson, the Academy Award-nominated star of "Schindler's List" who has become an unlikely action hero in his 50s.

In "Taken 2," Neeson returns as a retired CIA agent using his expert espionage and killing skills to take on a gang of thugs out for revenge against him and his family.