Summer is in full, steamy swing and that means the movie houses and massive giganto-cinemaplexes wait for you and me to walk through their doors and feel the full measure of an arctic, air-conditioned blast and the typically bombastic flick fare of the season.

New films of all varieties are on hand for the remainder of the summertime roster with some familiar faces and story lines along the way. There are a few thoughtful, deeper films, but much of the fare seems like easygoing (or energized) fun.

Here’s a look at some of the films openingthrough September.

Just opened is “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” The sixth film in the Harry Potter movie empire, has inspired some glowing reviews. Director David Yates, who was at the helm of the fifth movie, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” is back for this one, which sees Dumbledore and Harry meet the destructive forces of the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort. Elsewhere in Hogwarts, the focus is on youthful romance.

Getting some big promotional play from Warner Brothers is “Orphan” (July 24), the tale of young parents (Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga) who adopt 9-year-old Esther. From there, violence, mayhem, and general weirdness ensue. “I guess I’m different,” says the young Esther. That’s all too true.

“The Answer Man” (July 24) chronicles the life of famed writer Arlen Faber (Jeff Daniels), whose personality is much gruffer than what one would expect from someone who penned the monster-selling spiritual self-help book “Me and God.” Meeting a single mom portrayed by Lauren Graham, though, changes his life.

Adam Sandler stars as comedian George Simmons, a man told he’s destined to die, in “Funny People” (July 31). Despite what he’s told is his destiny, he befriends a fellow comedian played by Seth Rogen, and this friendship, plus running into an old girlfriend, help him rethink his life along the way.

An action-packed film where the Eiffel Tower tumbles down onto a Paris bridge, “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (August 7) sees Paramount Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment and Hasbro join forces for this tale of the G.I. Joe crew battling an arms dealer. Many things are blown up and the latest weaponry is featured here in a movie directed by Stephen Sommers (“The Mummy” and its sequel).

Aliens land on Earth, but these interplanetary refugees are kept in South Africa in the Peter Jackson-produced, Sony Pictures sci-fi flick “District 9” (August 14). The conflict is over what to do with these aliens, who are being used and controlled by the company Multi-National United. Their interest rests in the money to be made off the alien weaponry.

The incomparably great Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki directs the Walt Disney Pictures release “Ponyo” (August 14), a tale about the friendship between a young boy Sosuke and the goldfish princess Ponyo, who just longs to become human. Cate Blanchett and Matt Damon are among the voices in what looks like a must-see movie.

“Inglourious Basterds” (August 21), the long-awaited World War II project from director Quentin Tarantino, sees Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) lead a group of Jewish soldiers who exact their retribution on the Nazis. It made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

“Taking Woodstock” (August 28), another chance for Ang Lee to use his extraordinary skills for a period piece, chronicles one of the Woodstock stories that made the concert such a seminal, fascinating event. Lee’s focus here is the background on landing the concert location.

Tyler Perry’s follow-up film to “Madea Goes to Jail,” which was just released earlier this year, is “I Can Do Bad All by Myself” (Sept. 11). Here Madea has plans for three young miscreants who try to rob her, and that’s to send them to their hard-living aunt.

“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” (Sept. 18), based on the book of the same name about the town where Flint Lockwood concocts a machine that makes food drop down from above, includes the voices of Anna Faris, Bruce Campbell, James Caan, and even Mr. T.