Here we go, folks. The blockbuster summer season is finally upon us. Reviews may be split for the week’s biggest release, but that shouldn’t stop the box office flood gates from opening wide.

Two years ago, Marc Webb’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man‘ opened to mostly positive reviews, but failed to please hardcore fanboys. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘ will probably leave the fanboys still griping about how much better Sam Raimi’s trilogy was, but those who enjoyed the last reboot should thoroughly enjoy the sequel.

Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker is back as the web-slinging superhero, but Chapter 2 is quite different from what it’s made out to be. Sure, it has plenty of unforgettably stylized action spread throughout the entire 142-minute affair, but the emphasis is placed on the characters and their relationships – especially Peter and Gwen, and Peter and Harry. I can see a lot of viewers complaining about wanting more action and more visual effects. Spidey’s new movie may not be strong in plot, but it’s full of emotion and is a worthy opener to the blockbuster season.

With the help of an aggressive marketing campaign, Sony is attempting to boost the ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ debut north of $100 million. No other studio is willing to open a major title against it.

On the indie scene, Fox Searchlight’s PG drama ‘Belle‘ opens on four screens. The based-on-a-true-story period piece tells the tale of a Navy admiral’s mixed race daughter who’s raised by aristocratic white relatives. Underprivileged due to her skin color, she chooses to make a change in the world using her family’s social status.

Just as the studio did with Jason Bateman’s ‘Bad Words’, Focus Features is releasing yet another raunchy R-rated comedy in limited release. Elizabeth Banks takes the lead in ‘Walk of Shame‘ alongside James Marsden and a handful of other familiar faces. After a botched one-night stand, Banks is left making a long distance trek across Los Angeles without phone, car or purse on the eve of her potential career-changing job interview. This looks like an R-rated ‘Adventures in Babysitting‘ to me.