LOS ANGELES - Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" saga slayed its movie rivals once again, with part two of the vengeance tale following its predecessor as the country's No. 1 weekend draw.

"Kill Bill - Vol. 2," with Uma Thurman as an ex-assassin continuing her bloody quest for revenge against former colleagues, debuted with $25.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Another tale of retribution, the comic-book adaptation "The Punisher," opened in second place with $14 million. The movie stars Thomas Jane as an ex-FBI agent targeting the crime boss (John Travolta) who wiped out his family.

Nia Vardalos - writer and star of the weekend's other big new release, "Connie and Carla" - was unable to recapture the box-office magic that made "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" a blockbuster.

"Connie and Carla," about two musical-theater singers posing as men in a drag-queen revue while hiding from mobsters, finished well out of the top 10 with $3.26 million.

Studio polls found audience reaction was good for "Connie and Carla," "so I hope there's a little bit of life left in it," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal, which released the movie.

After an Easter surge that lifted it back to the No. 1 spot the previous weekend, "The Passion of the Christ" fell to ninth place with $4.2 million. Since opening on Ash Wednesday, the movie has taken in $360.9 million domestically.

Disney's expensive flop "The Alamo" came in at No. 10 with $4.05 million in its second weekend. "The Alamo" cost about $140 million to make and market but has grossed just $16.3 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.:

1. "Kill Bill - Vol. 2," $25.6 million.

2. "The Punisher," $14 million.

3. "Johnson Family Vacation," $6.4 million.

4. "Hellboy," $5.7 million.

5. "Home on the Range," $5.4 million.

6. "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," $5.1 million.

7. "Walking Tall," $4.6 million.

8. "Ella Enchanted," $4.4 million.

9. "The Passion of the Christ," $4.2 million.

10. "The Alamo," $4.05 million.