SAM SPRUELL KEEPS HIS BAD GUY CRED IN 'TAKEN 3' AS IT HOLDS STRONG OVER THE HEMSWORTH'S 'BLACKHAT'

(Fox): Liam Neeson on left and Sam Spruell on right in fight scene in Taken 3.

Sam Spruell's 'Finn' may have been "taken" out by Chris Hemsworth's 'Huntsman' in SWATH, but after the four-day Martin Luther King holiday weekend, Spruell clearly made up for it. 

Spruell's 'Taken 3' crushed Hemsworth's 'Blackhat' at the box office. 

'Taken 3' starring Liam Neeson, took in $14.625 million this weekend and $63.412 million overall after one week of release coming in 4th behind the surprising box office smash American Sniper, The Wedding Ringer and Paddington, according to Box Office Mojo. 

'Blackhat' the action thriller starring Hemsworth, directed by Michael Mann and distributed by Universal did not receive positive headlines coming in 10th place with a paltry $3.838 million at the box office with a reported $70 million dollar production budget. 

The public is not either interested in the hacker film or not believing Hemsworth as a hacker.  If this was supposed to be a fluff piece for Hemsworth using his popularity to generate box office, it didn't work -- at least domestically. 

However, there may be a bit of light at the end of the tunnel for 'Blackhat' when it opens more overseas particularly in Asian markets due to its diverse cast which includes Asian stars.

(See the full weekend box office here.)

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Spruell handles his bad guy cred in this final installment with ease taking out a few people including one of the beloved characters.  

Spruell's 'Oleg Malankov' is not 'Finn'. This guy has lots of sex appeal with hot tubs, women, tattoos and abs. Spruell in his tighty whities in a fight scene with Neeson  is enough to make a girl blush.

'Taken 3' sees the return of the "ex-covert operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) and his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), [who]are enjoying a reconciliation when Lenore is brutally murdered. Bryan is framed for the crime and flees, with the CIA, FBI and police all in hot pursuit. For the last time, he channels his rage and particular set of skills into hunting down Lenore's real killers, taking his revenge and protecting the one important thing left in his life: his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace)."  [Google]

Check out both films in theaters today.