Boleyn No History Lesson

Joss Whedon directs Robert Downey Jr. in superhero blowout

(NEWSER) - Sure, it's an effective moneymaking scheme: release movies about individual superheroes, then one about all of them. But with Joss Whedon at the helm, The Avengers really works. What critics are saying:

• "Even if you don't particularly like comic-book adaptations, this film just might make a believer of you," writes Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times . "Whedon is the key reason why this $220 million behemoth of a movie is smartly thought out and executed with verve and precision."

Critics wonder: Why did Jim Sheridan need to do this remake?

(NEWSER) - Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman, and Jake Gyllenhaal deliver solid performances in Jim Sheridan's war movie Brothers, but the film doesn't measure up to the 2004 Danish original, say critics:

• Peter Howell, Toronto Star : "It's still a film worth seeing, if only for the performances, but it seems to be something far short of a labor of love by Sheridan."
• Chris Hewitt, St. Paul Pioneer Press : "There's no indication what Sheridan thought was special or moving about this movie or why he thought it needed to be made. ... It feels oddly sterile."

Reared in feminine household, Henry king became 'emotionally dependent' on women

(NEWSER) - Henry VIII may have been cruel to some of the women in his life, but he was "emotionally dependent" on them, according to a top expert on the oft-married king. Being raised in a feminine household after the death of his dad led Henry to fall in love and marry so many. "He was the only boy and became emotionally dependent on women. Or, to put it more bluntly, he was emotionally incontinent," said historian David Starkey. More»

Historians balk at steamy soap, but fans aren't deterred

(NEWSER) - In the battle of fact versus flair, it’s pretty obvious which side “The Tudors” comes down on. Showtime’s steamy period soap opera, which premiers its second season tonight, trades a chubby, tight-wearing Henry VIII for slim, sexy Jonathan Rhys Meyers. “It’s sloppy filmmaking,” one historian tells ABC News. “Not one female costume in there is correct for the period. It’s so off the mark it’s laughable.” More»

Star power can't save unimaginative effort

(NEWSER) - Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium might be less than magical for grown-ups, critics of the whimsical family flick agree. Dustin Hoffman stars as the eponymous eccentric who bequeathes a magical living toy store to reluctant protégé Natalie Portman in a film that "sprinkles in charming moments but ultimately doesn't evoke enough wonderment," writes Variety's Brian Lowry. More»