With her magnifying glass and fingerprint powder in hand, Nancy Drew leaves River Heights for La-La-Land...but not to meet that guy on Smallville, as her boyfriend Ned fears. No, she's out to solve one of the greatest mysteries ever: the death of movie star Dehlia Draycott. But the bigger mystery is how our perky, plaid-clad sleuth will fit in with the text-messaging teen queens of mean she meets at Hollywood High.

DVD Features:
Featurette
Gag Reel
Music Video

Nancy Drew is an iconic girl detective created by Carolyn Keene with a passion for mystery and all things old. The small-town Nancy Drew (played by Julia Roberts' niece Emma Roberts) is about to experience a serious case of culture shock as she heads to Hollywood on an extended business trip with her father Carson Drew (Tate Donovan) and prepares to join the 21st century (well, sort of) at Hollywood High. Having promised her father that she'll give up sleuthing in favor of becoming a "normal" teenager, Nancy tries her best to resist the lure of the age-old mystery of famous actress Dehlia Draycott's (Laura Harring) death, but living in Dehlia's old booby-trapped mansion full of clues proves too powerful a force for Nancy to resist. Feeling completely out of place with high school peers who prove self-absorbed and obsessed with fashion, Nancy makes an unlikely friend in 12-year-old Corky (Josh Flitter), the brother of one of the meanest girls at school. Hormones and hero worship land Corky right in the middle of Nancy's dangerous detective work and inspire some good old-fashioned jealousy when Nancy's close friend Ned (Max Thieriot) visits from River Heights. Nancy's deductive skills are as sharp as ever, and her inspired detective work will profoundly impact the lives of complete stranger Jane Brighton (Rachael Leigh Cook), her own father, and a host of others. Offering a faster pace for modern audiences than the classic Nancy Drew films, this 2007 movie is sure to enthrall a whole new generation of tweens and teens while simultaneously living up to their parents' expectations. Rated PG for mild violence, thematic material, and brief language. --Tami Horiuchi

Customer Rating:
Summary: Guess what? There's going to be a sequel!
Comment: I used to love toddling down to the library when I was younger, and taking out as many books as I could, and reading them. When I got a little bit older, you were allowed to take out 12 books at a time. Which was just heaven for me! And yes, I used to take out 12 books at a time, and return them on time, if not before time. They were normally Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley High and occasionally Nancy Drew books. But my library never had that many Nancy Drew books, and if they did have them, it was only a couple and then the books that also featured the Hardy Boys.

When I found out there was a movie version of Nancy Drew coming out, I was apprehensive. From my memories of Nancy Drew, I didn't think there could be such a film. It just didn't work in my head.

And upon viewing? It was nonsense. Yes, they got the look of Nancy Drew practically spot on, but there was something magical missing. The supporting cast, with the exception of Tate Donovan, were average. The actor who played Ned, was too much of a pretty boy, and the comedy came from the actor who played Corky.

With films like High School Musical and Hannah Montana TV shows out there, Nancy Drew simply doesn't cut it. To be memorable, to make money, or to entice the kids away from HSM. It's pretty boring in fact. I know, I'm not the target audience, therefore, I should not be watching this, but I was intrigued by the idea.

There's a pointless cameo from Bruce Willis (uncredited) and Adam Goldberg, which has nothing really to do with the rest of the movie.

Maybe because I'm not (or wasn't) an avid reader of the books, I don't enjoy this movie as much as I should. Or maybe it's because movies like HSM and Bratz stick in my mind. Or maybe if I was 15 years younger, I would have enjoyed it better. (Does that make me sound old?) I wouldn't recommend Nancy Drew, only to readers of the books, young or old. Now where's the rest of my Sweet Valley High TV shows?

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Pleasant fun
Comment: Nancy Drew is a small town high school girl who accompanies her father to Hollywood for an extended stay. She is also a highly competent amateur detective who has set her sights on investigating the death of a starlet before they even hit town. Unfortunately, while Nancy is beloved by all in her hometown of River Heights, she is rejected by her new classmates in LA, and finds the bad guys a whole lot more dangerous than the ones she left behind.

I've never read any of the Nancy Drew books, so I can't compare the film to the any of the novels. On its terms, the movie is surprisingly entertaining and Emma Roberts is unbelievably charismatic in the title role. She comes across as highly intelligent, caring, ethical, and likeable. The story revolves around a 20 year old murder mystery that is not terribly original but is still fairly interesting. The movie runs a little over an hour and half, and is well paced throughout.

No one is likely to confuse Nancy Drew with a truly great movie, but it is enjoyable. Despite the PG-13 rating there isn't much reason not to watch it with pre-teens. It's a pretty wholesome affair and the "scares" are pretty nominal. The word that probably best describes the film is "cute" and that's not a bad thing. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a fun romp of a movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Some cleverness, humor, style, and action
Comment:
Clever action from the start grabs your attention. Then the film goes unnecessarily slow, without much interest for a short while, but fortunately soon picks up speed and interest through to the end.

It is interesting to see Nancy's preppy but fashionable clothes and her cool roadster from the 1930's. Some humor. Some cleverness. Some action. Nancy is charming and likeable. The supporting characters aren't bad, but are not memorable. The behind-the-scenes extras are interesting.

My suggestions for a sequel are under the "comment" button below.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great music, mom can stand it too
Comment: If you are sick of the usual tween music and your kids being beat over the head with the idea that they should be a rock star, you'll like this. It has an alternative flair, and some melllow songs, a bit of rap toward the end!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Fun adventure
Comment: This was a fun movie. The acting was pretty good, the plot moved along, and the mystery topic was not simple or fluffy. The cameos by big-name actors were neat. I probably won't buy it on DVD, but it was well worth my time.

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