If you’re like me, you’re trading a semester spent in a classroom for a summer spent in a movie theater. Summer is the time when studios release their biggest and often best films of the year.

Most summer movies are adrenaline-fueled blockbusters, and this summer’s roster is no different. With movies from fan favorites like Christopher Nolan, Joss Whedon and Ridley Scott, Hollywood’s hottest season doesn’t look like it will disappoint.

The summer movie lineup for 2012 is one of the best in recent memory, but I’ve managed to narrow it down to this list of what I think will be the five best movies of the season.
“The Avengers,” May 4

Set for release this Friday, “The Avengers” signals the beginning of the summer movie season. Fans have been waiting for this one since the 2008 reboot of “Iron Man.” Finally, we’ll be able to see all of our favorite superheroes together on one screen.

Helmed by the ultimate fanboy, Joss Whedon, the film is already garnering high praise for its mix of action and humor. It seems the movie has lived up to the years of hype.

I’ll be first in line to see “The Avengers” at the midnight premiere. While it may not be the summer’s best superhero movie, it’ll definitely be the most fun.

“Prometheus,” June 8

In its infancy, “Prometheus” was set to be a prequel to Ridley Scott’s “Alien” series. Scott decided against this, opting to set the movie in the same universe as “Alien,” but creating a new story with
new characters.

The cast looks to be the best part of the film. Scott brought in heavy hitters like Noomi Rapace, known for her brilliant performance as Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” There’s also Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba and Guy Pearce.
Couple a cast like that with Scott’s top-notch direction, and you can’t go wrong.

I have one beef with the movie: The trailers have damn near given away the entire plot. If you haven’t seen any of them yet, watch only the first trailer. The others contain plenty of spoilers.
“The Amazing Spider-Man,” July 3

While I’m most excited for Batman’s final installment, I’m almost equally anxious for the beginning of a new “Spider-Man” franchise.

Each component of “The Amazing Spider-Man” looks solid. There’s director Marc Webb, most famous for “500 Days of Summer.” Some great young talent in Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone will also hit the screen.

Webb has all the pieces to construct his own “Spider-Man” franchise. He’ll be building it from the ground up, starting off by telling a story fans have been wanting for years — the interactions between Peter Parker and his professor, Curt Connors, who becomes The Lizard, one of Spider-Man’s biggest enemies.
“The Dark Knight Rises,” July 20

Let’s not kid ourselves here. This is, or should be, No. 1 on everyone’s list. “The Dark Knight Rises” is undoubtedly the most anticipated movie of the year.

Everything we’ve seen from this movie so far looks great. Hardcore Batman fans probably think they can figure out most of the plot. But leave it to Nolan to reconstruct the Batman mythology in a brilliant way.

I do have some doubts about this one. Yes, Nolan is a genius, but even geniuses strike out sometimes. Look at the history of trilogies. The first two parts of “The Godfather” trilogy are masterpieces, but part three was a dud. Same with Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” trilogy.

I’m hoping Nolan can prove me wrong, and I believe he can. Like “The Dark Knight” before it, “Rises” will likely be everyone’s favorite movie this year. Unfortunately, it will also signal the end of one of the best trilogies of all time.
“The Bourne Legacy,” Aug. 3

An August movie still counts as a summer movie, right? This is not just the newest entry into the “Bourne” series. Rather, it’s the beginning of a new series. Matt Damon is nowhere to be seen here, as budding action star Jeremy Renner will take the reins.

Renner portrays Aaron Cross, another product of the Blackbriar program that gave Jason Bourne all of his ass-kicking abilities. The formula for “Legacy” is as simple and brilliant as its predecessors — Cross is innocent, but the CIA tries to hunt him down. He turns the tables and hunts them. Plenty of asses are kicked along the way.

For me, nothing beats a well-crafted spy movie. Renner was great in last year’s “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” so I can only expect him to excel in this role, as well as the future “Bourne” movies he’ll likely star in.