When young sleuth Nancy Drew is forced to move house with her father to California, she chooses a house with an unsolved mystery involving a Hollywood actress who went missing and later found dead in her pool. Having already promised her father not to be working on any mysteries or sleuthing, she must keep her investigations a secret as she tries to discover why the Hollywood star was murdered and by whom.

Having never read any of the books, I have no idea how close to the original text the film is, but that said, I actually found it quite a charming kids film which I wouldn’t normally touch with a bargepole. Almost textbook in its structure but I found myself drawn into the characters and the mystery that she must unravel. As she gets hotter on the trail and finding clues scattered about, she gets chased by men in cars, receives warnings to stay away from the case and ends up being kidnapped, all while trying to fit in with her new classmates.

There are some amusing moments trying to fit in to the new school life and the Californian way as well as the relationship she has with her always-busy father. Very silly at times but entertaining nonetheless.

It was for me very reminiscent of Famous Five and Secret Seven, which I dare admit I read once, a long time ago. There are some ludicrous situations where the young girl puts the police department to shame and finds out more than they could through her unconventional and honest approach to the investigation.

Some of the supporting characters were extremely flat and at times quite annoying but it does shift the emphasis onto Nancy and her performance, making her stand out that little bit more. So if anyone has slightly older children to take to the cinema and you have to join in with what they’re watching, this one shouldn’t be too painful.

by Ian Cook