Summer on the big screen

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If, like many of this summer's movie heroes, you are a rogue undercover secret operative seeking to smoke out your adversaries, kick butt and clear your name, please read the following top-secret manual, which has been prepared for your eyes only. Your assignation point is the multiplex. Your code name is Popcorn. Your mission is to survive until September. What follows is a guide to the major summer suspects in your vicinity, according to our latest intel. Important: There is no need to eat this document, as the contents will combust on the following dates.

BRUTE ENFORCERS

Robin Hood(May 14) Basics: Robin Hood (Russell Crowe) returns from war to find Nottingham suffering from high taxes and political corruption, meets Maid Marion (Cate Blanchett) and leads a rebellion. Buzz: Ridley Scott directs Crowe in what promises to be Gladiator in jerkins. Critic's take: Early reaction is positive in what looks like a Dark Knight/ Casino Royale-style serious reboot, with not much merriness from the merry men.

Iron Man 2 (May 7)
Basics: After his identity is revealed, Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), is besieged by the U.S. military and a trio of foes - played by Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke. Buzz: This is the big blockbuster of the summer, which may even overtake The Dark Knight's record-setting $158-million (U.S.) first weekend. Critic's take: With irony man Robert Downey starring, and Jon Favreau back as director, this promises to be another smart action film, though three villains raises the worry of sequel bloat.

Salt (July 23)
Basics: A CIA agent, Evelyn Salt, is accused of being a sleeper spy for the Russians and goes on the run to clear her name. Buzz: When Tom Cruise bailed from the project, Angelina Jolie got the call to launch what's hoped to be a new Bourne-style franchise. Critic's take: Russian bad guys? How retro. Luckily, director Phillip Noyce ( Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) is an old-school espionage vet.

FUNNY GAMES

Dinner for Schmucks (July 23) Basics: Executives play a game in which each tries to bring the biggest idiot to dinner each month. Paul Rudd's choice is a loser (Steve Carell) who likes to put mice in costumes. Buzz: A long-waited Hollywood remake of this French farce, it does have Carell, an expert idiot. Critic's take: American remakes of Francis Veber's French comedies include Fathers' Day, Jungle 2 Jungle, Pure Luck and The Toy, all of which did poorly. The exception was a script he co-wrote, La Cage Aux Folles.

Get Him to the Greek (June 4)
Basics: In a loose sequel to Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a record-company intern (Jonah Hill) is in charge of getting an out-of-control rock star (Russell Brand) to L.A.'s Greek Theater for an anniversary concert. Buzz: A handful of real-life pop stars will appear, including Puff Daddy, Kate Perry, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lars Ulrich and Dee Snider. Critic's Take: Turn that devil's-horn sign into fingers crossed. Forgetting Sarah Marshall's writer-star Jason Segal isn't involved, and this is director Nick Stoller's first effort.

Cyrus (July 7) Basics: A man (John C. Reilly) meets the woman of his dreams (Marisa Tomei) but has to contend with her hostile, possessive 21-year-old son (Jonah Hill). Buzz: A favourite at this year's Sundance, where the film was praised for mixing humour with an undertone of creepiness. Critic's take: Advance reviews are uniformly positive for the writing-directing team of Jay and Mark Duplass ( The Puffy Chair) and for the performances.

FAMILY PLOTS

Shrek Forever After (May 21) Basics: Shrek finds himself in an alternate universe where donkey, Puss in Boots, and Fiona are all transformed for the worse, thanks to the villainous Rumpelstiltskin. Buzz: Reportedly the last Shrek movie. Critic's take: There's been a progressive decline from the first Shrek in 2001 to 2007's Shrek the Third. Maybe it can go out on a high note.

Marmaduke (June 4) Basics: In this mixture of live action and computer-generated imagery, the cartoon strip Great Dane (voiced by Owen Wilson) moves to a new California home and adjusts to life among new four-legged friends. Buzz: Big dog obliviously destroys stuff. What's not to like? Critic's take: See above.

Toy Story 3 (June 18) Basics: Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), Woody (Tom Hanks) and the other toys are accidentally donated to a daycare and have to escape. Buzz: It's been 15 years since the first Toy Story, a milestone in animation; and 11 since Toy Story 2. Saying there is pent-up interest would be an understatement. Critic's take: Pixar's track record consists of nine out of 10 excellent films (the questionable entry was 2006's Cars) and there's no reason to believe this one will disappoint.

Despicable Me (July 9) Basics: Animated 3-D film about an evil genius named Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) whose plans to steal the moon are challenged by three orphan girls. Buzz: Odd, Roald Dahl-like story is the first release from Universal's new animation division, written by the screenwriters of College Road Trip and Horton Hears a Who! Critic's take: This sounds sound unendearing and off-kilter enough to pique interest, and almost unpleasant enough to be good.

MIND GAMES AND FUTURE TECH

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Aug. 13) Basics: Rock bassist Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) must defeat his girlfriend's seven previous evil boyfriends. Buzz: Edgar Wright ( Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) directs Bryan O'Malley's Toronto-set graphic-novel series. Critic's take: Looks as though it captures a generational buzz, with Juno's Jason Reitman dubbing it "the first all-encompassing film of the joystick generation."

Splice (June 4) Basics: Two scientists (Sarah Polley and Adrien Brody) splice animal and human DNA to create a beautiful and dangerous new creature. Buzz: Somewhat mixed reviews greeted this at Sundance, with director and co-writer Vincenzo Natali following a path reminiscent of fellow-Canadian David Cronenberg in this mixture of ideas made alarming flesh. Critic's take: Intelligent genre fare with sexy mutant possibilities.

Inception (July 16) Basics: In a future world, a gang of thieves (including Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page) steals dreams and sells them for profit. Buzz: Director Chris Nolan ( The Dark Knight, Memento) has kept details under wraps for this brain twister of a story in a $160-million globe-hopping horror-thriller package. Critic's take: Iron Man 2 might just rule the box office, but this looks like the critical favourite of the summer with an ace cast that also includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Michael Caine.

REPEAT TERRORISTS

A Nightmare on Elm Street (April 30) Basics: In the ninth film in the series, suburban teenagers are once again terrified by disfigured, scissor-fingered killer Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley), who haunts their dreams. Buzz: Producer Michael Bay and director Samuel Bayer promise to "reboot" the series with a remake of Wes Craven's imaginative 1984 horror film, which featured a then-unknown Johnny Depp. Critic's take: Other horror reboots (notably Friday the 13th) have come up flat, but Haley ( Little Children, Watchmen) is watchable in anything.

Predators (July 9) Basics: A group of elite mercenaries led by a man named Royce (Adrien Brody) find themselves on a distant planet and realize they have been brought there as prey. Buzz: Robert Rodriguez ( Sin City), who wrote a Predator script in the nineties, produces this outing; Nimrod Antal ( Kontroll, Vacancy) directs. Once again, the operative word is "reboot," referring to the 1987 Schwarzenegger thriller. Critic's take: Get your head around Brody and Topher Grace as hardened mercenaries. Are the predators pussycats?

Piranha: 3D (Aug. 27) Basics: An earthquake releases prehistoric piranhas into a lake during spring break. Buzz: The original 1978 mini- Jaws-like feature classic (in 2-D) helped finance co-screenwriter John Sayles's career. Haute Tension director Alexandre Aja directs. Critic's take: Come on in - the water's warm … and sticky.

FEMALE COUNTERINTELLIGENCE

Eat, Pray, Love (Aug. 13)
Basics: Julia Roberts stars as Elizabeth, who decides to go on a journey of self-discovery around the world after her divorce. Buzz: Based on Elizabeth Gilbert's Oprah-endorsed memoir, directed by Glee's Ryan Murphy and starring Roberts opposite an array of hunks, including James Franco, Billy Crudup and eventual love interest Javier Bardem. Critic's take: Try to avoid confusing with the male version, Eats, Shoots & Leaves.

Sex and the City 2 (May 27) Basics: Newly married Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her girlfriends go on an all-expenses-paid vacation to Abu Dhabi. Buzz: Should be even bigger than the first Sex and the City movie, which became a social phenomenon in spite of horrendous reviews. Critic's take: Same sex, different city.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30) Basics: Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) graduates from school and proceeds with marriage plans, while werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) join forces to thwart a new vampire threat. Buzz: Another blockbuster about virgins perpetually on the verge thanks to sinister supernatural forces. Critic's take: Impressive the lengths some people will go to to promote teen sexual abstinence.