We went to see Nancy Drew last weekend, partly because we were curious what Hollywood might do with the character, and partially because we weren’t quite in the mood for seeing another comedy or comic-book action blockbuster on opening weekend in a crowded theater. You know what? It was good. Not one of the best movies of the year – well, I shouldn’t say that, the year’s been moving a little slow so far – but a good story that conveyed what’s appealing about the novels. It also would have been a good movie for parents to take their kids…as opposed to Ocean’s Thirteen, where we saw several children getting dragged.
Looking around, it seems that critics panned it as mediocre. The common theme was that it didn’t live up to their expectation of a fish-out-of-water comedy or a sophisticated, modern take on a classic character. From what I saw, the primary points where the movie fell flat were the fish-out-of-water parts, which just seemed jarring, and as for a sophisticated take on the character…well, I have a feeling that was wishful thinking based on an optimistic view of how complex the character actually was. I read a lot more Hardy Boys than Nancy Drew when I was younger, and I’m thinking complexity in any adaptation of the Hardy franchise would definitely end up fundamentally changing the source material.
In ND, they decided to stick with the source material. Not a bad option, but it only ended up garnishing $6.8 million of your hard-earned wages. That likely means it will be out of the theaters soon, which is a shame. Considering some of the other movies we’ll see this summer, it’s worth the money they’re going to get. So, go see it, while you still can. The Fantastic Four and Steve Carell will be waiting for you until next weekend. :)