Ah, summer. The time has finally come when we can put on our swimsuits, go outside and bask in the sun. Or, if you’re like me, the time has finally come when you can ignore that sun and spend the season in a darkened room. Because with summer, comes summer movie season. With “Avengers: Age of Ultron” premiering last week and “Pitch Perfect 2” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” coming out this week, the potentially biggest summer movie season ever has begun. I’ll guide you through five movies you won’t want to miss.

“Tomorrowland” (May 22):

Disney is known for creating franchises wherever they can in their rich collection of intellectual property. This time, Disney is borrowing from its theme parks. Though skeptics could think of this film as simply a branding and franchising opportunity, “Tomorrowland” has stunned audiences with the visuals in its trailers. Behind the camera is Brad Bird, who has directed some hugely successful action romps such as “The Incredibles” and “Mission-Impossible: Ghost Protocol.” Expect “Tomorrowland” to be a visually stunning and exciting summer treat for the whole family.

“Jurassic World” (June 12):

Although movie culture is starting to become too dependent on rebooting franchises, I can’t help myself from getting excited about “Jurassic World.” Just hearing John Williams’ classic theme gives me goosebumps, but hearing that song accompanied by more modern visuals will be thrilling. A film can’t stand on its own with visuals and dinosaurs, but Jurassic World seems to be in good shape on the human side. It features Hollywood’s new favorite leading man Chris Pratt, who anchored last summer’s smash-hit “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Director Colin Trevorrow had success a few summers ago with his indie smash “Safety Not Guaranteed,” and I’m thrilled to see what he can bring to the classic series.

“Inside Out” (June 19):

After a somewhat disappointing attempt in “Brave,” and the fun but ultimately forgettable prequel to “Monsters, Inc.,” “Monsters University,” Pixar appears to be back in fine form with their newest film “Inside Out.” In this film, Pixar will take us inside the mind of a young girl named Riley, where we will meet all of her emotions as different characters. Just writing the words “emotion” and “Pixar” in the same sentence excites me, as no one knows how to effectively pull at our heartstrings like Pixar does. You’ll definitely want to be there for Pixar’s big return into top-tier films, and you might want to bring some tissues as well.

“Ant-Man” (July 17):

The eleven superheroes featured in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” were just not enough Marvel for one summer, as their cinematic universe grows with “Ant-Man.” Here, Paul Rudd stars as Scott Lang, a man with the ability to shrink to the size of an ant. This film is based off of a highly regarded comic book series that many thought would never see the light of day on a film screen. The idea of seeing the world from an ant’s point of view in live action is thrilling, and if anyone can successfully make a fun, unique, mid-summer action romp, it’s Marvel.

“Mission: Impossible-Rogue Nation” (July 31):

Audiences were originally going to see Ethan Hunt achieving impossible missions this December, but Paramount executives were so excited about “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” that the film will now bow in late July. Coming off the hugely successful Ghost Protocol, the fifth installment of the M:I franchise seems to include not only the sequences that we have come to know and love, but also new, innovative stunts that will surely wow audiences. This seems like a franchise that is getting better with age.

Erik Benjamin is a television radio, and film major. If you want to talk movies he can be reached at ebenjami@syr.edu.

Published on May 11, 2015 at 8:34 pm