THE summer films bonanza is moving into high gear as cinemas try to compete with the footie and the fine weather.

July sees the big guns being wheeled out, starting with the sequel to CGI cartoon favourite Shrek. If a big lumbering ogre doesn't tickle your fancy, however, Manchester son Steve Coogan's first big Hollywood film hits the screens as he tries to go Around the World in 80 Days.

Facing off against Coogan and co-star Jackie Chan is Flex Kavana himself, The Rock, in his latest action vehicle Walking Tall. Or you could always catch up with the rest of the world by seeing Battle Royale II - more bloody, more elaborate and almost as enjoyable as the origial.

But the biggies in July are Spidey and the Birds. The Thunderbirds, to be precise, which get their long awaited live action adaptation at the hands of beardy ex-Trekker Jonathan Frakes. Meanwhile, Spider-man 2 promises to be bigger and better in every respect than the first, with initial word of mouth being so positive it could charge a car battery.

Family fare comes in the form of Garfield, who looks up from his comfy chair as August approaches. Bill Murray (who else, really) takes on the vocal duties in the live action version of the fat cat's adventures.

At the other end of the scale, Jerry Bruckheimer gets stuck into Arthurian legent with the help of Bond-in-waiting Clive Owen, Keira Knightly and Ray Winstone. Expect much sword play and little realism.

Will Smith has Asimov turning in his grave in Alex Proyas' in-name-only adaptation of the classic sci-fi tale I Robot, while Halle Berry dons the pvc as Catwoman.

For definitive chills, M Night Shyamalan's latest, The Village, promises much of his usual moody suspense, while bullet headed Vin Diesel tries to justify a $20m take home in Pitch black sequel The Chronicles of Riddick.

September sees Tom Hanks in the based-on-a-true-story The Terminal, about an Eastern European refugee stuck in an airport terminal after his country disappears, while Tom Cruise limbers up for the next Mission Impossible by playing a contract killer in the quirky sounding Collateral.

Tedious Marvel Comics adaptation The Punisher gets a big budget outing after the last, Dolph Lundgren starring attempt, as John Travolta gets to camp it up as bad guy number one this time, while tedious looking Britflick romcom Wimbledon seems to offer little of note.

But forget all that, because Hellboy's out in September, and that's all you need to know.

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