Page 18 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • July 18, 2012 Garfield stars in re-imagined version of Spider-Man by Dennis Seuling “The Amazing Spider-Man” hits theater screens just 10 years after “Spider-Man,” which starred Tobey Maguire and led to two profitable sequels. So why reintroduce the character so soon? Apparently the team responsible for those three pictures, including director Sam Raimi, decided they had mined the character and plot lines to the max. So Columbia Pictures, not willing to let go of a cash cow, has re-started the series with a new SpiderMan, Andrew Garfield (“The Social Network”), and a new director, Marc Webb (“500 Days of Summer”). The results are impressive. Given the problem of how to present a well known origins tale without making viewers feel they have seen it all before, Director Webb offers enough variations to make the background of Peter Parker’s transformation to Spider-Man fresh. Well before that scene, viewers are treated to a solid characterization of Peter, a science nerd and self-conscious high school outsider being raised by his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field), his parents mysteriously having abandoned him when he was a youngster. Andrew Garfield stars as Peter Parker (Spider-Man) in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man.’ Garfield’s Peter is angstridden, vulnerable, and as centrally involved in Spider-Man’s more dangerous edgy. Peter stands up for a kid being bullied even though he exploits, though she does assist him when it matters most. knows his intervention will re-target the wrath of the bully Think of her as a more intelligent, focused Lois Lane. She on himself. He admires schoolmate Gwen Stacy (Emma doesn’t fall into the damsel in distress mode and never Stone) but gets tongue-tied whenever they have a chance to engages in reckless, self-endangering activities. This is talk. In other words, Peter is an average kid going through definitely refreshing. Webb takes his time letting the viewer get to know the trials of high school and the complexities of budding Peter before switching gears to the Spider-Man effects romance. Garfield is excellent as Peter, and is reminiscent of a sequences. There is plenty of action, though these scenes young Anthony Perkins. He is slight of build, with ner- seen more incidental than essential to the plot. In the earvous, darting eyes, hunched shoulders, and an awkward lier pictures, special effects dominated. Here, they never smile. The primary difference between his interpretation overshadow the human story being told. A mystery, suggested by a brief prologue showing of the role and Maguire’s is in his alter-ego of Spider-Man. Garfield’s Spidey retains some of Peter’s social awkward- Peter’s parents suddenly leaving home never to return, proness, which is endearing. He has incredible powers, yet is vides the underlying theme of self-discovery. When Peter still a gawky teenager at heart. This film is clearly a star- locates a briefcase belonging to his father and finds some making vehicle for Garfield, who displays great emotional documents hidden within, it sets off his search to learn what happened to his parents. This leads him to Dr. Curt range and proves he can shoulder a major motion picture. Gwen is a new character, replacing Mary Jane Watson. Connors (Rhys Ifans), a former colleague of his father, (continued on Crossword page) Stone and Garfield have terrific chemistry. Gwen is not