I am now officially claiming my membership position in the Emma Roberts fan club. Sure Julia’s niece has probably had it a little bit easy (having one of the most famous movie stars in the world sure couldn’t have hurt when the 16-year-old was first going to casting calls looking for work), but that doesn’t make her any less of an adorably appealing talent. After Aquamarine and now Nancy Drew I simply can’t wait to see what this little endearing dynamo of spunk, charm and talent has up her sleeve next, this kid certainly an engaging newcomer worthy of keeping a firm eye upon.

It would be nice if I could say the same about her new movie. This new interpretation of author Carolyn Keene’s timeless character by co-writer and director Andrew Fleming (Dick) is a rather forgettable slog, and while 12-year-old girls are probably going to love it everyone else is going to spend more time looking at their watch and hoping that it’s nearly time to leave the theater. The film is an unfocused messy bore, only the luminous talents of Roberts (and a few winning quips by Josh Flitter, The Greatest Game Every Played) keeping Nancy Drew from being a total catastrophe.

The film follows Nancy (Roberts) as she and lawyer dad Carson (Tate Donovan, Shooter) move for the summer from their quiet little town of River Heights all the way to Beverly Hills so he can work on a new case. Living in the fabled mansion of late movie star Dehlia Draycott (Laura Elena Harring, Inland Empire), the budding investigator decides to discover the mystery surrounding the woman’s death, digging up clues leading her to single mom Jane Brighton (Racheal Leigh Cook, Josie and the Pussycats) who might just be the actress’ illegitimate daughter and rightful heir to her massive fortune.

That’s really about it. Sure there are subplots about Nancy trying to deal with her new Hollywood high school and her trying to relate to new friends who care more about surface and superficiality than they do about anything else, but that’s really about it. A potential boyfriend from River Heights, Ned Nickerson (Max Thieriot, The Astronaut Farmer), is thrown into the mix, as is mysterious Hollywood layer and agent Dashiel Biedermeyer (Lajos Koltai’s upcoming weeper Evening) with ties to Draycott.

But none of these tangents add up to much, while the central thread is about as flimsy and nonexistent as any I’ve seen in a feature film this entire summer. Fleming and Tiffany Paulsen’s screenplay doesn’t really go anywhere of interest. Worse, it can’t decide on a consistent tone, one second the picture a breezily bouncy romp suitable for all ages the next taking a somewhat shockingly violent and dangerous turn not altogether suitable for the material. It’s a bit jarring and more than a tad disappointing, the pieces in place for a winning family adventure but Fleming failing to use any of them in a way that’s remotely satisfying.

Thankfully there is Roberts, and all by her lonesome she’s almost enough to make me feel like I’m being a bit too hard on this movie. I have this sneaky suspicion I am going to love watching this young woman learn and grow as an actress, seeing her career hopefully flourish and take flight hopefully a joyous cinematic journey worth taking the time to relish. That doesn’t make Nancy Drew any less of a disappointment, the only mystery here being how fast it’s forgotten and makes its way to the discount DVD bin at your local Blockbuster.

Film Rating:  êê  (out of 4)