...younger people should find it entertaining, and the spoofing will not be a complete waste for many adults.
Anyway, the actual mystery investigation, a combination of "Sunset Blvd." and "The Black Dahlia," is secondary to Nancy's attitude, personality, and behavior in the movie, which carry the day. Nancy wears little sweaters, homemade dresses, moccasins, and penny loafers; drives an ancient Nash Rambler convertible; carries a Pee-Chee notebook to school; and reads things like "Advanced Sandcastle Making" for fun.
"Nancy Drew" is at its best when it's in a light satiric mode, and it tends to degenerate rapidly when it turns to conventional car chases, silly action, and cheesy endings. Fortunately, more than half the time, it's on target. And when it's not, one can easily overlook it. As I say, younger people should find it entertaining, and the spoofing will not be a complete waste for many adults.
Video:
Warner Bros. are going through a phase right now where they appear to be experimenting with dual screen formats on the same disc. Here we get the movie's original 2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1.33:1 full-screen, pan-and-scan ratio on the same side of the DVD. The pan-and-scan cuts out over forty percent of the screen image, so I watched in anamorphic widescreen. WB's high bit rate provides nice, bright, solid colors; consistent black levels; and reasonably sharp definition for an SD release. Yes, it's a trifle soft, but it's still quite realistic, with no discernable added artifacts.
Audio:
The sound is a different matter. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sonics are not exactly in the state-of-the-art, demonstration league. The front-channel stereo spread works well enough, the midrange comes across clearly and quietly, the dynamics are decent, and the often eerie background music does have a warm bloom. That said, there really isn't much in the way of surround activity, and the frequency extremes seem limited.
Extras:
Among the bonus materials we find the usual items. First, there's a nine-minute, behind-the-scenes featurette, "Nancy Drew: Kids at Work," wherein star Emma Roberts narrates and takes us on a tour of the film's sets. Second, there's a two-minute gag reel. Third, there's a three-minute music video, "Pretty Much Amazing," performed by Joanna; and, fourth, there are five mini featurettes totaling about nine minutes. Things wind down with a few trailers for other WB and New Line releases at start-up only; twenty-five scene selections but no chapter insert; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages and subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
Parting Thoughts:
"Nancy Drew" is an intentionally outmoded throwback to the 1950s, set in the modern day for comic effect, and as such it works, even if it works a little too hard trying. Nancy has been a perennial favorite of youngsters, particularly girls, for nearly eight decades, and this latest theatrical incarnation of the teenage sleuth, while probably taking its subject matter a bit less seriously than it might, still provides some good, clean fun. Moreover, there are a few cute bits in it for adults as well. So, while not a clear-cut winner, this newest "Nancy" isn't the hackneyed, empty-headed confection it could have been.
"Nancy Drew" is at its best when it's in a light satiric mode, and it tends to degenerate rapidly when it turns to conventional car chases, silly action, and cheesy endings. Fortunately, more than half the time, it's on target. And when it's not, one can easily overlook it. As I say, younger people should find it entertaining, and the spoofing will not be a complete waste for many adults.
Video:
Warner Bros. are going through a phase right now where they appear to be experimenting with dual screen formats on the same disc. Here we get the movie's original 2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1.33:1 full-screen, pan-and-scan ratio on the same side of the DVD. The pan-and-scan cuts out over forty percent of the screen image, so I watched in anamorphic widescreen. WB's high bit rate provides nice, bright, solid colors; consistent black levels; and reasonably sharp definition for an SD release. Yes, it's a trifle soft, but it's still quite realistic, with no discernable added artifacts.
Audio:
The sound is a different matter. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sonics are not exactly in the state-of-the-art, demonstration league. The front-channel stereo spread works well enough, the midrange comes across clearly and quietly, the dynamics are decent, and the often eerie background music does have a warm bloom. That said, there really isn't much in the way of surround activity, and the frequency extremes seem limited.
Extras:
Among the bonus materials we find the usual items. First, there's a nine-minute, behind-the-scenes featurette, "Nancy Drew: Kids at Work," wherein star Emma Roberts narrates and takes us on a tour of the film's sets. Second, there's a two-minute gag reel. Third, there's a three-minute music video, "Pretty Much Amazing," performed by Joanna; and, fourth, there are five mini featurettes totaling about nine minutes. Things wind down with a few trailers for other WB and New Line releases at start-up only; twenty-five scene selections but no chapter insert; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages and subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
Parting Thoughts:
"Nancy Drew" is an intentionally outmoded throwback to the 1950s, set in the modern day for comic effect, and as such it works, even if it works a little too hard trying. Nancy has been a perennial favorite of youngsters, particularly girls, for nearly eight decades, and this latest theatrical incarnation of the teenage sleuth, while probably taking its subject matter a bit less seriously than it might, still provides some good, clean fun. Moreover, there are a few cute bits in it for adults as well. So, while not a clear-cut winner, this newest "Nancy" isn't the hackneyed, empty-headed confection it could have been.
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