Fourth 'Resident Evil' is first at the box office

Despite being its fourth incarnation,Resident Evil:  Afterlife pummeled the competition this weekend,  thanks largely to its 3-D component.By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY The video game adaptation raked in $27.7 million , according to studio estimates. The debut was $2 million more than some analysts projected and was the latest movie to cash in on 3-D technology. TOP 10 CHART: See how your favorite films fared at the multiplex The debut was the first time that Screen Gems, the small Sony-owned studio,  held the top two positions at the box office. The studio also released the heist thriller Takers, which was second with $6.1 million. "That's an amazing one-two punch," says Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony Pictures.  He praised Afterlifefor its use of 3-D  which has been a component in the two highest-grossing films of the year, Toy Story 3 ($409.9 million) and Alice in Wonderland ($334.2 million). The filmmakers "set it up and knocked it out of the park," Bruer says. Still, analysts wonder about the long-term 3-D effect as more films implement the technology — and surcharges. "It will be interesting to see in the long run whether 3-D is enough to make a hit, " says Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com. "We've had some hits but also some misses.  Not all of them have lived up to the hype." That wasn't a problem for Afterlife, which enjoyed its best de but since the zombie-battling franchise began in 2002.  Films like ResidentEvil usually are critic-proof, and the film was not offered to critics for review. Afterlife is the latest long-running franchise to find success late in life. Last year , the horror film The Final Destination enjoyed its best opening in its fourth installment, also in 3-D . That film went on to earn $66 million. George Clooney's The American was third with $5.9 million, followed by Machete with $4.2 million.  Going the Distance was No. 5 with $3.8 million. Final figures are due today.