Alan Dee’s guide to the new cinema releases

In the first three movies in this lucrative franchise, Tobey Maguire was the fresh-faced science geek endowed with amazing arachnid powers after a chance encounter with an eight-legged friend in a lab experiment that went wrong.

But Tobey has moved on to other projects, so another slight form was needed to slide into the supertight Spidey suit in The Amazing Spider-Man.

Step forward Andrew Garfield, part of the next Britposh generation of public school old boys who have hit the big time in luvvieland.

He’s been around for a good while paying his dues in film and TV roles, most recently in The Social Network, but taking the lead role in a Hollywood blockbuster is a big step up.

Hot young starlet Emma Stone picks up the girlfriend role, and if you think there’s chemistry between the two of them it’s hardly surprising, as they’re a couple off screen as well.

The likes of Rhys Ifan and Denis Leary are lurking around to lend support, but most people will be buying a ticket for the sizzling special effects and 3D thrills. It certainly delivers on that score – a summer blockbuster that served up value for money in entertainment terms without really offering anything new.

> If you’re a big Katy Perry fan you’ll want to catch the pop sensation and former Mrs Russell Brand open up on screen in the latest tour movie featuring a chart star of the moment. That breakthrough Hannah Montana film has a lot to answer for.

Katy fans will already know her back story – girl from a sheltered Christian background turns global superstar – but Ms Perry says her inspiration for Katy Perry: Part Of Me was Madonna’s Truth or Dare documentary. Oh dear.

> Men against nature films are something of a flavour of the month, and The Hunter features Willem Dafoe trying to track down the last Tasmanian tiger.

> More likely to be the popular family choice is Ice Age 4: Continental Drift. The good thing about animation sequels is that you don’t have to worry about actors growing older or getting bored of the role, so all the old favourite critters are back for more and that means another paycheck for Dennis Leary, along with voice talent colleagues Ray Romano, Queen Latifah, Seann William Scott, and crew. Again, nothing new, but it knows its market.