The summer movie season is upon us, its CGI tsunami of would-be blockbusters leaving precious little space to run them all down. So here’s our quick-hit guide to what to see, and what to avoid … like that suspiciously orange popcorn butter.

FRIDAY

“San Andreas” – A massive earthquake threatens L.A., but rescue pilot Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says, “Not on my watch!” The summer’s first big, dumb disaster movie can boast the human charisma generator that is Johnson. Verdict: Let the Rock’s manly vibes entertain you.

“Aloha” – Bradley Cooper’s military contractor goes to Hawaii and must choose between Rachel McAdams and Emma Stone. Verdict: Director Cameron Crowe’s been on a decade-long losing streak, but if he can recover some of his “Almost Famous” magic, the great cast (including Bill Murray) could mean a return to greatness.

JUNE 5

“Entourage” – So, this exists. The guys from the HBO series bro out about how cool it is to be a bro. Verdict: Fans rejoice. Women taken to this on first dates, despair.

“Insidious: Chapter 3” – A horror prequel to a horror sequel?! That is not a great sign! Verdict: Some people liked the first two. This should mildly please them.

“Spy” – Melissa McCarthy’s CIA desk jockey finally gets a chance to yell and fall down a lot in the field in this espionage comedy written and directed by Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids,” “The Heat”). Verdict: McCarthy’s comedy isn’t subtle, but when teamed with Feig, it’s been hilarious.

“Love & Mercy” – John Cusack and Paul Dano play the older and younger Brian Wilson, respectively, in this biopic of the troubled life of the former Beach Boy. Verdict: After a decade in the direct-to-DVD wilderness, Cusack looks strong in what promises to be a wrenching musical movie.

JUNE 12

“Jurassic World” – Hey, they finally got that dinosaur theme park up and running! Nothing could possibly go wrong! Verdict: Things go predictably wrong, although the cool cast – including Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Jake Johnson, and Vincent D’Onofrio should gape and flee entertainingly.

“Me And Earl and the Dying Girl” – Teen weeper about a young filmmaker who befriends a classmate with cancer. Verdict: Bring the tissues for this, the weekend’s anti-“Jurassic World.”

JUNE 19

“Inside Out” – Pixar attempts to bust out of its once-unthinkable creative slump with this promising animated film about a teenage girl dealing with the anthropomorphized emotions in her head. Verdict: The return of writer-director Pete Docter (“Up,” “Monsters Inc.”) is a good sign, but the voice cast (Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader), is even better.

JUNE 26

“Ted 2” – The shocking number of people who enjoyed Mark Wahlberg trading lazy dirty jokes with a potty-mouthed teddy bear are responsible for this sequel. Verdict: Writer-director-voice-of-Ted Seth MacFarlane (“Family Guy”) has fans who won’t be dissuaded by the likes of me, so enjoy.

JULY 3

“Terminator Genisys” – Again with the Terminator. Arnold Schwarzenegger returns from his political hobby. Stuff blows up. Verdict: Who’s fired up for a fourth sequel?!

“Magic Mike XXL” – With the original’s director Steven Soderbergh not returning, this sequel is just Channing Tatum and other hunky dudes shaking their money-makers. Verdict: It should do fine.

JULY 10

“Minions” – A second sequel essentially reduces the franchise to pre-verbal status, as those lozenge-shaped critters from “Despicable Me” jibber through their own movie. Verdict: If you have kids, you’re gonna see it. Condolences.

“The Gallows” – This found footage horror flick stars Portland native Ryan Shoos. Verdict: It’s also supposed to be pretty good.

JULY 17

“Ant-Man” – Paul Rudd stars in this eccentric outpost of the Marvel cinematic universe, as a guy who can shrink. Verdict: Rudd’s a brilliantly odd choice, but the fact that Marvel took the film away from outstanding original director Edgar Wright (“Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World”) is a red flag, so tread carefully.

JULY 24

“Trainwreck” – Comedian Amy Schumer wrote this ribald comedy about a self-destructive woman who doesn’t know how to cope when she falls for genuinely nice guy Bill Hader. Verdict: Schumer has proven herself an original comic voice on her sketch show “Inside Amy Schumer,” Hader’s always great, and it’s directed by Judd Apatow. Sounds like a rom-com for smart (and filthy) people.

“Pixels” – Slobby video game players have to save the world in this action comedy with a plot stolen directly from a “Futurama” episode. Verdict: Adam Sandler lowers expectations, Peter Dinklage raises them, which probably means this is very average.

“Pan” – Another version of “Peter Pan,” this time an origin story. Verdict: Hugh Jackman’s impressive facial hair may not explain the need for another “Hook.”

JULY 31

“Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation” – Tom Cruise continues to take on missions which are not so much impossible as very convoluted, this time battling a group whose missions are both impossible and evil. Verdict: Great supporting cast (Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner), as ever, backs up the creepily ageless Cruise in this reliably diverting explosion carnival.

“Vacation” – Ed Helms is the grown Rusty Griswold in this long-unawaited continuation of the National Lampoon franchise, taking his kids back to Wallyworld. Verdict: Look for the appealing Helms to sputter impotently as his dream vacation slides into chaos, and for Chevy Chase waiting impatiently for his cameo.

AUG. 7

“Fantastic Four” – Again with the superheroes. Marvel reboots its venerable super-team after two truly limp outings. Verdict: Previews look okay, and the cast is interesting (Michael B. Jordan as Johnny Storm? Okay!), but it’s going to take a lot to undo the previous films’ collateral damage.

“Ricki and the Flash” – Meryl Streep is a burnt-out rocker trying to make amends with the family she abandoned years before. Verdict: Good pedigree, with director Jonathan Demme teaming with writer Diablo Cody. Plus Streep impeccably playing strung out is going to be…interesting.

AUG. 14

“The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” – An American and a Soviet secret agent team up in this Cold War adaptation of that TV show you sort of remember catching on cable once. Verdict: Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer are the “Mad Men”-era secret agents (and look good in suits), and director Guy Ritchie’s trailer looks surprisingly exciting. But does anyone remember the Ralph Fiennes/Uma Thurman adaptation of “The Avengers”? Anyone?

“Straight Outta Compton” – Director F. Gary Gray (“Friday,” “The Negotiator”) brings out this biopic of influential, infamous ’80s rap rap group NWA. Verdict: NWA’s musical influence is undeniable. Whether this movie will play in Maine is questionable.

“Masterminds” – Certified funny people Owen Wilson, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudekis and Zach Galifianakis star in this fact-based heist comedy about an unassuming guard who steals a truckload of cash. Verdict: Can’t argue with the cast, although the twee vibe of “Napoleon Dynamite” director Jared Hess isn’t for everyone. (Me, for instance.)

AUG. 21

“Sinister 2” – After things went spectacularly wrong for the nice family in the first movie, a new nice family moves into the same house, where things – one assumes – go terribly wrong again. Verdict: Horror sequels are a poor bet in general, but at least they didn’t name it “Sinister 2: Too Sinister,” so maybe there’s hope.

AUG. 28

“Hitman: Agent 47” – And we close out the summer with a reboot of a bad movie based on a video game. Verdict: Bring on the fall!

Dennis Perkins is a freelance writer.

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