Good Movies Write Off - "Nancy Drew"
Written: Nov 04 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Funny, good script, Emma Roberts is good, Josh Flitter is hilarious...
Cons: ... a few weak moments, but nothing major...
The Bottom Line: Nancy Drew is an enjoyable movie, and not just for kids (somewhat to my surprise!)
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| captaind's Full Review: Nancy Drew |
I’ve never read any of the Nancy Drew books but my wife has, so it was a foregone conclusion that she would want to see this film. Fortunately the trailers looked like the film would be fun, so I was quite happy to tag along. As it turned out, Nancy Drew was one of the most enjoyable films of 2007 so far.
The film starts off with girl detective Nancy foiling a crime in her local town. Unfortunately her poor father is being driven to distraction worrying about his adventurous girl, and when he gets a new job opportunity that requires moving, he lays down the law that she must quit sleuthing. Reluctantly, she agrees - but just happens to have chosen a house with a great mystery attached. As she struggles to fit in with her new schoolmates who find her painfully old-fashioned, the unsolved murder of her new house’s previous owner begins to pull her into a tangled web of intrigue that starts many years ago and extends into the present day…
Emma Roberts (niece of Julia) plays the eponymous heroine, and does a good job of it. On occasions you can see a resemblance to her famous aunt. My wife didn’t think she quite got the character right, but I think that may be because they’ve updated the stories and characters from the original 1930’s outlines and the 1960s / 1970s revisions that came out (which are probably what my wife has read, and which were updated from the originals in themselves to appeal more to the young readership of that time). Her character is likeable but with a smuggness that makes it okay for bad things to happen to her from time to time. There are a few occasions in the film where her mental superiority and incendiary compared to her peers is highlighted quite outrageously - in a woodwork class she has completed a scale model of a cathedral, for example, whereas her classmates are struggling with a simple bird box. These scenes are done with a sense of absurdity that is completely lacking from the rest of the film, and thus I found them very amusing breaks from the main action.
Mourning Nancy’s leaving is young Ned Nickerson (Max Thieriot), who can’t quite find the words to express his feelings. In the new town, a seeming rival for Nancy’s affections appears in the form of “Corky”. He is played by Josh Flitter, who I found to be absolutely hilarious in the role. His sister (who in Corky’s words “may also be the devil“) takes an instant dislike to Nancy, and while Nancy wants to solve the case she also wants to be popular, which may be problematic. Her father (Tate Donavon) simply wants to keep her out of trouble. There’s also a very creepy undertaker lurking around - what’s his business?
It all comes back to, and revolves around, the unsolved murder of Dehlia Dracott - the famous actress who mysteriously disappeared and, on returning to her house where the Drews now live, hosted a party and was found dead. (Presumably the name “Dehlia” was a reference to “Black Dahlia”, the name given to the unsolved mystery of the death of actress Elizabeth Short.) The plot is put together quite well and contains a few surprises, along with a little tension. Most of the movie is done in a fairly serious but light-hearted way, broken up mainly by the mania of Corky. It’s intelligently developed with just one or two scenes that don’t really work, and plot wise is just about enough to hold the interest of adults watching and actually delves into a few issues that are quite deep / serious for kids to watch.
It is undeniably aimed mainly at children, but it’s also done in such a way that adults can enjoy it as well. There’s a decent amount of tension and intrigue, thankfully little teenage angst, and a fair dollop of humour.
Nancy Drew is rated PG for mild violence, thematic elements and brief language, and runs for 99 minutes. It was directed by Andrew Fleing.
Related Links
Top Ten Children’s Movies
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This review was an entry to my Good Movies Write Off
Recommended:
Yes
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