Studios Gamble on Hulk's Quick Return

Critics say action-packed flick will please the summer movie crowd

(NEWSER) - It’s no Iron Man, but The Incredible Hulk is a crowd-pleaser that comic book devotees and action fans will appreciate, critics say. The second adaptation of the Marvel comic in five years avoids the missteps of Ang Lee’s 2003 moody bust (Hulk) and “embraces its identity as a sci-fi-summer-action-blockbuster extravaganza,” writes Mick LaSalle in the San Francisco Chronicle. More»

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."

Marvel and Universal bank $54.4M with monster remake

(NEWSER) - The Incredible Hulk stormed the weekend box office, grossing $54.5 million for Universal and Marvel Comics, Variety reports. Kung Fu Panda fell to second with $34.3 million as the R-rated thriller The Happening surprised analysts by banking $30.5 million in third. You Don't Mess With the Zohan and Indiana Jones claimed fourth and fifth spots. More»

In the mood for a caper? Rent one of these.

(NEWSER) - Did The Bank Job leave you itching for more scheme-heavy heist films? Entertainment Weekly names 13 greats:

1. Ocean's Eleven: Ex-con George Clooney gathers a gang to filch $150 million and get back his girl, Julia Roberts.
2. A Fish Called Wanda: John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis are among the double-crossers vying for stolen jewels.
3. How to Steal a Million: An art forger's daughter (Audrey Hepburn) joins forces with suave cat burglar Peter O'Toole.