Summer has arrived. “Mission Impossible 2” is the essence of a summer movie: gorgeous stars, sensational stunts, nerve-wracking chases, steamy romance, some “gotcha” plot twists, and lots of explosions. And this time, the story makes sense!

The first one was a huge success, but most viewers thought that the real mission impossible was trying to understand the plot. This time, they make it simple so we can just sit back and enjoy.

Alfred Hitchock used the term “McGuffin” to stand for whatever it was that the hero and heroine were after — the stolen jewels, the secret formula, the Ark of the Covenant, or the map of the hidden treasure. He said it did not matter what it was. All you had to do was establish that it was important, and then get out of the way.

This time, the McGuffin is a secret formula – a monster virus somewhere between the Hong Kong flu and Ebola. And our hero, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has to retrieve it, even though it is really, really hard to get because it has been stolen by one of Hunt’s former colleagues who knows all his tricks. As Hunt’s boss (an unbilled Anthony Hopkins) says, “It’s not Mission Difficult; it’s Mission Impossible.”

As in one of Hitchcock’s best, “Notorious,” the hero has to persuade the heroine to get romantically involved with an ex-flame. Thandie Newton plays Nyah, a brave and beautiful jewel thief who just happens to be the bad guy’s former girlfriend and our hero’s current love interest, providing lots of tense moment and a couple of opportunities for Cruise to show some emotion between karate kicks.

Director John Woo makes the whirl of a flamenco dancer’s skirt, the flutter of birds taking off, and the smoke from an explosion mesmerizing to watch. His trademarks are all here — the hero sliding across the floor in slow motion, firing two guns at once, the balletic combat, the villain’s streak of sadism (just two words of warning: “cigar cutter”), and an engaging willingness to tweak, even spoof, his own conventions. The bad guy (“Ever After’s” Dougray Scott) explains that Hunt will “undoubtedly engage in some acrobatic insanity” to retrieve the virus, and even mocks Cruise’s inimitable grin.

My one quarrel with the movie is that it leaves out the best part of the original “Mission Impossible” concept, back in the days of the TV show, and that was teamwork. It was a lot of fun to see how the special expertise of each of the MI team members was going to come in handy. Ving Rhames returns as the world’s least geeky computer genius, but aside from a couple of great lines, impeccably delivered (“Punk put a hole in my Versace!”), he never gets a chance to show us what he can do. Hunt is more like loner James Bond than he is like MI’s Jim Phelps.

But that’s a small point. It is a terrific thrill ride of a movie, just the way to start the summer. Cruise just keeps getting better, and I can’t wait for MI3.

Parents should know that the movie has intense scenes of peril and a lot of violence and sexual situations (not graphic).

Families who see the movie should talk about the statement by the scientist that “every search for a hero must begin with something every hero needs – a villain.” A corporate CEO applies this in very literal terms of supply and demand. Older kids may want to talk about the controversy over biotechnology and the risks of scientific inquiry. Families who enjoy this movie will also enjoy James Bond classics like “Goldfinger,” “Thunderball,” and “Goldeneye.”

Loosely based on Dickens’ Oliver Twist, this animated Disney release is the story of an orphaned cat named Oliver who is befriended by vagabond dogs led by the the dashing rapscallion, Dodger. Oliver is adopted by lonely rich girl Jenny, whose prize-winning poodle, Georgette (voice of Bette Milder), has a world-class case of jealousy. First Oliver and then Jenny are kidnapped for ransom, but are saved from wicked Sikes by the clever animals.

While not up there with the Disney classics, this movie has real pleasures, especially Dodger’s “Why Should I Worry” musical number (written and sung by Billy Joel) with Dodger leaping and dancing through Manhattan traffic.

There are also some scary moments, but kids will appreciate the way that Oliver takes care of himself, and the way that the dogs take care of him, of each other, and of their human friend, the hapless Fagin (voice of Dom DeLouise).

The definitive comment about “Resident Evil” was made by my friend Luke, who walked out of the theater with me and said, “The computer game is more realistic than the movie.” At least, I think that’s what he said. My ears were still ringing from the highest decibel audio track I can remember.

Okay, no one was going in expecting insights about the human condition or Oscar-worthy performances in a movie based on a CD-ROM. All we hope for is some cool special effects and fight scenes. But even on that level, “Resident Evil” is a disappointment.

A huge corporate conglomerate operates a mysterious underground research facility called The Hive. When something goes wrong with a devastating virus experiment, the governing computer system (think “2001’s” Hal the computer with the voice of Alice in Wonderland) shuts everything down, including killing off all the people. Two amnesiac security officers are brought down into The Hive by a team of commandos. And the rest of the movie consists of the group being confronted by various booby-traps and being chased by various mutants and zombies.

For the record, I can accept forgoing insight, characterization, and even dialogue in a movie like this. But it is not okay to forego stunning visuals, clever plot twists, and a sense of humor, and here “Resident Evil” falls short. What it does have is undead humans who look like rejects from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video, mutant vampire Dobermans who look like they they’ve been turned inside out, some laser beams that slice into people in a really gross way, and, on the plus side, a literally kick-ass performance by Michelle Rodriguez.

Parents should know that this movie has extremely gross and graphic violence, with many disgusting deaths and truly icky monsters. Characters are in extreme peril and most of them are killed. There is very strong language and a brief sexual situation with nudity.

Families who see this movie should talk about how people should respond if they believe that their organization is doing something wrong and about the kinds of controls our society establishes to keep private organizations from getting out of control. They can also talk about how this movie could have been better.

Families who enjoy this movie will enjoy the much better The Fifth Element, also starring Milla Jovovich.

It has an enchanted princess in a tower, guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. It has a big, green ogre with a Yiddish name. It has a donkey that not only talks, and not only sings, but sings the old Monkee’s song, “I’m a Believer.” It has an evil (but short) bad guy, kickboxing, a Robin Hood and Merry Men who perform an Irish Riverdance, potty humor, and some digs at Disney. And it has sensational animation, adventure, romance, and laughter – enough to make this one of the best movies of the year.

Shrek is a big, green ogre who lives happily alone in a swamp. But Lord Farquaad of nearby Dulac has a plan for creating the perfect kingdom, and that means getting rid of all of the fairy tale characters and sending them to “a designated resettlement community.” Soon, the three blind mice, the three little pigs, the gingerbread man, all the broom-flying witches, Pinocchio, and a talking donkey are all relocated to the swamp. Shrek is furious at the intrusion. He makes a deal with Farquaad, who needs to marry a princess to put the final touch on his kingdom. Shrek will rescue Princess Fiona and bring her to Farquaad, and Farquaad will give Shrek his swamp back.

The movie is a marvelous fairy tale, with a thrilling quest and a happily ever after ending. It has the great themes of enduring myths, about believing in yourself, being loved for the person you really are, and good triumphing over evil. It is also a delicious satire, tweaking all of our assumptions about ogres, princesses, rescues, and even fire-breathing dragons. The voice talents of Michael Myers (as the Scottish-burred Shrek), Eddie Murphy (as the talking donkey), Cameron Diaz (as Princess Fiona), and John Lithgow (as Farquaad) are all perfect. The computer animation is breathtaking, like nothing ever done before. The textures are stunning. The glass, fire, clouds, and water seem three-dimensional, and you will feel that the donkey’s fur almost brushes your hand. The animation has wonderful warmth and depth, but it also has a great deal of character and wit. The facial expressions and body language are such a treat that the audience can’t help thinking that if ogres and donkeys and don’t really look like that, they should.

Parents should know that this movie is rated PG, but it is right up at the limit of PG-13, with edgy humor directed at teenagers and adults. It is a shame that Hollywood finds it necessary to include this material in a movie that would be otherwise perfect family fare, but that is the economic reality of this era of moviemaking. You can’t have a major hit without selling tickets to teenagers, and teenagers will not go without some jokes worth sniggering at. They will be over the heads of most younger children, but parents should be ready for some questions. Parents should also know that it has some potty humor and some gross-out jokes. There are also some scary scenes with characters in peril, and some fighting. A bird explodes and its eggs are eaten, and a character loses a leg, but very few others get seriously hurt.

Families who see this movie should talk about the donkey’s statement that Shrek has “that kind of ‘I don’t care what nobody thinks of me’ thing.” Is it true that Shrek did not care what people thought of him? How can you tell? What did it mean to say that ogres are like onions? What does it mean to say that people have layers? Who in the movie is judged on his or her looks? By themselves or by others? Why does Shrek yell at the donkey when he is really angry about something else? Do you agree that “friends forgive each other?” Can you look up into the stars and see stories?

Families who enjoy this movie will also enjoy “Ladyhawke” and “The Princess Bride.” Families with younger children will enjoy some of the books by William Steig, who wrote this story. My favorites include Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and Brave Irene.

Not one of Disney’s best, but this is a nice animated story of an elegant cat (voice of Eva Gabor) who must find her way back home with her kittens to protect their inheritance from an evil butler. The plot is sort of “Lady and the Tramp” crossed with “101 Dalmations,” with less memorable characters and songs. The highlight is the jazzy “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat” number, with Phil Harris as Thomas O’Malley “The Alley” Cat singing the lead.

NOTE: There is a very odd, but brief, drunken scene when a goose drinks the wine that was supposed to be used to marinate him.