"NANCY DREW: DREW'S CLUES"
On Demand Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars)
ON DEMAND EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Emma Roberts as NANCY DREW Josh Flitter as CORKY Max Thieriot as NED NICKERSON Rachael Leigh Cook as JANE BRIGHTON Amy Bruckner as BESS Tate Donovan as CARSON DREW Kelly Vitz as TRISH Marshell Bell as LESHING Rated PG Studio: Warner Bros. Directed by: Andrew Fleming Back to DVD Review Home |  |
If I were a twelve year old girl, I probably would have loved Nancy Drew. When I saw the film in a press screening several months ago, all the twelve year old girls there love it. Even my son, who routinely rejects traditionally girlie commercials for things like Barbie and Bratz, wanted to see the movie.
I’m not a twelve year old girl (obviously), so the movie wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. But I need to remind myself that this film isn’t made for me. Now, the classic girl sleuth has gotten her shot out of the cinema and into our living rooms. The DVD hit the streets on March 11, which is the same day that it became available through On Demand cable.
The story follows young Nancy Drew (Emma Roberts), a teenage sleuth who dominates the crime in her small town. However, when her dad moves her to Hollywood for a new job, she has to deal with the challenges of being a modern teenager while trying to solve a decades-old mystery surrounding her new house.
In many ways, this is a very typical fish-out-of-water story, and I would have preferred a more traditional approach. However, in this day and age of Disney Channel’s domination of tween movies, it’s understandable why the filmmakers of “Nancy Drew” went down this road.
Emma Roberts carries the film relatively well and is blossoming into a fine actress. Give her a few more years, and she’s going to be snatching up the roles that her fading aunt is growing out of. Still, the highlight of the movie comes from young co-star Josh Flitter who steals every scene he’s in. I can’t wait for this kid to get his own movie.
With the On-Demand selection, families can watch the “Drew’s Clues” version. With this selection, ongoing pop-up video facts, games and trivia show on screen periodically. Similar to the style of VH1’s “Pop-Up Video,” this gives an interesting insight into the film.
For those who have seen “Nancy Drew” and want to watch it again on cable, this is the way to go. The facts aren’t distracting from the story, and they are generally well-timed into the film. It also gives some nice insight beyond the film to the behind-the-scenes elements as well as the history of the books. And even if you haven’t seen the film yet, it adds a little more to the experience that augments the story rather than distracts from it.
Fans of the film and the interactive On Demand experience can visit www.nancydrew-drewsclues.com to enter the “Clothes the Case” sweepstakes and have a shot at winning a $5000 shopping spree.
