Spring in Hollywood traditionally means a fresh crop of badly spoiled movies.

But summer is a different story. That's when Tinsel Town finally starts to bloom. Studios truck out the guaranteed hits, the serious bucket-of-popcorn fodder where stuff goes very fast and explodes, animation becomes spectacular eye candy, dialogue doesn't suck and the year's Oscar race begins in earnest.

As we move into May, and the official onset of summer-cinema fare, "Larry the Cable Guy" is blessedly hiking up his sagging drawers and retreating in what should be shame, into the florid shadows of "The Pink Panther" and "Ultraviolet," and in the witless company of "Grandma's Boy" and "The Benchwarmers." Not to mention that other bottom-feeder stuff you should probably not admit to having seen except on DVD.

So get ready to remember why you love going out to the movies, as the Big Screen pops anew with the joys of Johnny Depp running amok as Capt. Jack Sparrow, comic-book heros fighting the good fight (the newest X-Men and Superman exploits) and the blockbusters blossoming (Forrest Gump in a Biblical whodunit directed by Opie? Ka-ching!) with all the vitality absent the spring movie crop.

This will also be the summer of our national tragedy writ large, as Hollywood finally addresses the sorrow — and the heroism — of Sept. 11. Prepare to weep, or else stay home.

But you won't stay home.

United 93 (R): This drama follows the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, as well as their families and the flight controllers during the worst terrorist attacks on American soil. The film recreates the day's events in actual time and attempts to understand the fear and courageous acts of strangers facing an unthinkable situation, in preventing the fourth 9/11 plane from reaching its hijackers' planned destination. Stars J.J. Johnson, Gary Commock and Polly Adams.

Mission: Impossible: III (PG-13): This third installment of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise again follows agent Ethan Hunt on a dangerous mission to save the world from crazed, couch-jumping celebrities. OK, just kidding. He just saves the world from angry psychotics, that's all. Stars Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Laurence Fishburne, Kerri Russell and last year's best-actor Oscar winner, Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Poseidon (PG-13): In this update of a disaster flick that was something of a cinematic shipwreck to begin with, a group of unlikely allies must come together in the name of survival after a rogue wave capsizes a luxury cruise ship. Ignoring the captain's orders to wait below for rescue, this band of strangers struggles through the upsidedown ruins and rising water to reach the surface and possible rescue. Stars Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss and Emmy Rossum. Alas, no Debbie Reynolds to poke fun at.

The Da Vinci Code (PG-13): Will one of the biggest books of all time become the year's motion-picture blockbuster to beat? With Ron Howard directing, and Tom Hanks starring, yes. When a colleague is found shot at the Louvre, respected historian Robert Langdon finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation. As he and the victim's daughter elude police and the real man behind the killing, they uncover a shocking truth that, if revealed, could rattle the foundations of Christianity. Also stars Audrey Tautou.

Over the Hedge (PG): In this computer-animated film, a turtle named Verne and his woodland buddies arise from their long winter's nap to a disturbing sight. Some tall, green "thing" has sprouted in the middle of their home. A clever raccoon named R.J. reassures the animals that beyond the hedge is a gateway to the good life, where creatures called humans live to eat, rather than eat to live. Verne wants to keep his family on their side of the hedge, but curiosity wins over and the animals learn to work together and coexist with this new world of suburbia. Voices by Bruce Willis, Garry Schandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner (yes, really) and Avril Lavigne.

X-Men: The Last Stand (not yet rated): In this final chapter of the "X-Men" trilogy, the beautiful freaks return to face a cure for mutancy, which threatens to change the course of history. The mutants' choice between giving up their powers or remaining ostracized from society for their uniqueness creates renewed tension between Charles Xavier and Magneto, while also triggering the war to end all wars. Stars Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Famke Janssen.

Cars (G): The latest film from the Pixar Animation group takes moviegoers into the world of sassy talking autos. Lighting McQueen is a hotshot rookie race car who learns that life is about the journey, and not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in sleepy Radiator Springs. Voices by Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, George Carlin and Richard Petty.

Superman Returns (not yet rated): After mysteriously disappearing for years, the Man of Steel returns to Earth for another adventure, but life isn't like it was before. While an old enemy plots to get rid of him for good, Superman must face Lois Lane, who seems to have moved on without him, as well as find his place in a society that, too, has learned to live without him. Stars Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (not yet rated): Elizabeth and Will — and, of course, Cap'n Jack Sparrow — are back for another adventure in this sequel to the funniest flick to ever imagine the lovechild of Keith Richards and cartoon character Pepe Le Pew as a buccaneer. Jack still owes the unpaid debt of his soul to Davy Jones and his army of sea phantoms, and he and his friends must now figure out some way to save him from becoming one of these ghostly creatures. Stars Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Bill Nighy and Keira Knightley.

Miami Vice (not yet rated): Michael "Whatever It Is, Blow It Up!" Mann brings TV's "Miami Vice" to the big screen with plenty of pastel jackets and guns, plus acting! Oscar winner Jamie Foxx plays Ricardo Tubbs and Colin Farrell is Sonny Crockett, who work together to identify a group responsible for drug trafficking and murder. Also stars Gong Li, Naomie Harris and Ciaran Hinds.

World Trade Center (not yet rated): It's a 9/11-movie summer. Firebrand director Oliver Stone films the story of two Port Authority policemen who were trapped under the rubble of the World Trade Center during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Stars Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

— Movie list compiled by features writer Kristin Day

Contact features editor Frank W. Rabey at 329-9575 or frabey@coxnc.com