Toys of summer: Scoping out this year's crop of movie action figures

Ever since "Star Wars" action figures and vehicles got cash registers ringing more than 30 years ago, the summer movie season has started in the toy section, not the ticket booth.

Those of us who were kids in the summer of 1977 remember the frenzy sparked by that first set of "Star Wars" figures (well, except for the lame Ben Kenobi one). Seeing the movie wasn't enough; you also had to collect as many figures and vehicles and playsets as you could to create "Star Wars" adventures at home.

Since then, the marriage of toys and summer movies has continued with nary a lovers' spat. This year, the toy shelves are packed with figures from -- to name just a few movies -- "Speed Racer," "Iron Man" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which hits theaters this week.

Many of these toys, of course, will be bought by collectors who would sooner open a vein than the box. But some people will buy them so their kids can, you know, actually play with them.

With that in mind, we took a look at a few toys from the 2008 lineup to see which are worth getting, and which belong with poor old Ben Kenobi in the "do not use" pile.

• Repulsor Power Iron Man (Hasbro, approximately $19.99): This 12-inch figure isn't cheap, but I can't imagine a young Iron Man fan not flipping for it. It looks great; it boasts plenty of electronic sounds and lights; and best of all, it shoots a projectile from one of his gloves (a perfect way to annoy younger sisters). The figure also feels durable enough not to break five minutes after arriving at home.

• Indiana Jones (Hasbro, approximately $19.99): The detail on this 12-inch figure is fantastic, and it comes with great accessories (gun, whip, golden idol). I love the fake-leather bomber jacket and the removable hat. The face looks more like Bill Pullman than Harrison Ford, though, even in Indy's younger days. Plus, his chest is way too bulky. Creepy alert: When you make this figure recite lines from the movies, its mouth moves. Ewww!

• Power Punch Hulk (Hasbro, approximately $9.99): This figure is based on the upcoming superhero flick "The Incredible Hulk," which opens in June. In the Power Punch version, you can make the Hulkster swing his fist while wearing the front end of a police car on it like a boxing glove. The detail is nice, but the swing is pretty weak.

• Hover Attack Batman (Mattel, approximately $9.99): This figure, part of the line based on "The Dark Knight," the new Batman film that opens in July, is pretty standard-issue action figure stuff. Batman comes with a jet pack that allows him to fly; the turbines light up and shoot projectiles, which is a nice bonus.

• Mach 5 and Speed Racer (Hot Wheels, approximately $9.99): A slick replica of the Mach 5 along with a simple Speed Racer figure. Hot Wheels jazzes it up a bit by allowing you to open the hood and fire saw blades.

• Shift Attack Sports Coupe (Mattel, approximately $29.99): Think Batman meets Transformers. This "Dark Knight" item is an elegant sports car that morphs into a lethal attack vehicle. It comes with figures of Bruce Wayne and Batman; you can insert both into the car so that when it transforms from one to the other, the driver changes from Bruce to Bats at the same time. It's a cool toy, but it feels a bit fragile.

• Marion Ravenwood (Hasbro, approximately $9.99): Ah, Marion. Boys who saw "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in 1981 fell in love with Indiana Jones' smart, tough and sexy girlfriend, played by actress Karen Allen. It's fantastic that she has a place among all the macho men on the toy shelves this year, even if she does come with a frying pan. To be fair, though, the figure honors the scene in "Raiders" when Marion conks an evil henchman on the head with said pan. And the deluxe version of this figure even comes with said henchman!