June 21 marks the official start to the summer movie season. And if it’s summer, then the box office will be bombarded with sequels. This summer is no exception with nine sequels/spin-offs planned for release.

The largest of these might be Iron Man 2 (now in theaters). Two years after the release of the first movie, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is dealing with the consequences of announcing to the world that he is Iron Man. The government wants his suit and new enemies emerge in hopes of destroying him.

Early reviews are in and critics seem to be relatively positive.  Most critics feel it doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, but think it’s still a solid and enjoyable movie  — mostly because of Robert Downey Jr.’s performance.

Another highly anticipated sequel coming out this summer is Toy Story 3 (opening June 18). Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and company find themselves at a daycare when their owner, Andy, leaves for college. 

Recently, an early cut of the film was screened at the ShoWest, a convention for the movie theater business, and from reviews it sounds like Pixar has another hit on their hands.  The early reviews say it’s a strong third installment in the trilogy, and it may even leave some viewers in tears during the emotional last minutes.

This season, moviegoers will also be able to see the return of Sarah Jessica Parker and the rest of the girls as they travel to Abu Dhabi in Sex and the City 2 (May 27). The Shrek franchise comes to a conclusion with Shrek Forever After (May 21) and Twihards are most likely counting down the days till the June 30 release of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.