One weekend a year Americans turn away from the movie theater and stay home to watch television. This year they watched the cranky Steelers desperately clawing their way underhanded play by underhanded play to a record sixth win at the Super Bowl. Meanwhile in theaters new movies were clawing their way to knock Paul Blart out of the number one spot.

It took a third weekend for Blart to finally lose enough steam for someone else to be top dog in theaters. Only one contender, however, was up to knocking off the crap-comedy mall cop.

Liam Neeson's return to the action flick genre may not have been glorious in the eyes of critics (personally I think they're still punishing him for Darkman). But it was a fun, vengefully heroic romp and America turned out to hand over the cash to make it number one. $24 million was the total. For those interested, Darkman opened at $8 million. Nevermind that Takenis a glorified update of Schwarzenegger's Commando, watching the hero brutally putting the scummiest guys in the world in their place is always gratifying.

The latest awful remake of an Asian thriller, The Uninvited, banked over $10 million to take third place. That paltry sum was downright enviable compared to Renée Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr.'s sleepy rom-com New In Town. With only $6 million it came in at number eight, the only new movie unable to top the plummeting Lycans.

1. Taken * $24,625,000   -   Total: $24,625,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 3,183

2. Paul Blart: Mall Cop $14,000,000   -   Total: $83,375,000 LW: 1     WR: 3     THTRS: 3,206

3. The Uninvited * $10,512,000   -   Total: $10,512,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 2,344

4. Hotel for Dogs $8,706,000   -   Total: $48,229,000 LW: 4     WR: 3     THTRS: 3,160

5. Gran Torino $8,600,000   -   Total: $110,547,000 LW: 3     WR: 8     THTRS: 3,015

6. Slumdog Millionaire $7,680,000   -   Total: $67,244,000 LW: 5     WR: 12     THTRS: 1,633

7. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans $7,200,000   -   Total: $32,784,000 LW: 2     WR: 2     THTRS: 2,942

8. New in Town * $6,750,000   -   Total: $6,750,000 LW: N     WR: 1     THTRS: 1,941

9. My Bloody Valentine 3-D $4,260,000   -   Total: $44,608,000 LW: 6     WR: 3     THTRS: 1,406

10. Inkheart $3,700,000   -   Total: $12,792,000 LW: 7     WR: 2     THTRS: 2,655