In mini-summary, Nancy kidnaps a young Indian boy from the circus and becomes embroiled in geopolitical intrigue when she realizes that the boy in question is the true ruler of India.
Sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it?!
Meh.
Unfortunately, that's all I can say. Meh. Most of the 215-page story feels like it's just stalling the conclusion. This is a problem I've had with several of the original editions. Too many times Nancy is forced, for pages on end to play what Carson Drew refers to as "the waiting game."
To which I, of course, say: "The waiting game sucks--let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos!"
The story starts with Nancy witnessing the brutal abuse of a young Indian boy named Coya. Strangely, the boy is being whipped mercilessly because he is not properly whipping the Circus' elephant, Tom. (A brief side note: I just can't take elephant abuse. I mean, I can't deal with animal torture of any kind, but for some reason elephant abuse just tears me up inside ever since I watched this history special on Coney Island and saw that video of Topsy being electrocuted). Anyhoo, Nancy is, like me, not a fan of child or elephant abuse, so she intervenes. The man, named Rai, explains that Coya is his son. Nancy procures the titular Ivory Charm for reasons too stupid to summarize, and ends up sort-of kidnapping Coya--all in a day's work for a girl detective.
Alright, she doesn't seriously kidnap him, but she might as well have. The young boy runs away (for the obvious reason that he doesn't enjoy daily whippings), and Nancy pays his fee for the train and brings him home with her. All the while, Coya is referred to as being a "little brown boy" and essentially acts as the Drew's servant. Oh, "quaint" racisms. I expected you to be in full force, and I was not proven wrong. The book basically boils Hinduism and Indian culture down to a bunch of ludicrous superstitions. Not cool.
Then, the secondary villain is introduced, an American woman named Anita Allison who seems obsessed with mysticism and is the seeming ringleader of a plot to abduct and kill Coya, who has no idea of his royal birth, to ensure another leader's spot on the throne.
Again, this may sound interesting. But I assure you it is NOT. The villains are caricatured and snooze-worthy and the book has more false endings than Return of the King without having any of the raw awesomeness or Samwise Gamgees I would require.
There are a few good scenes, but most end up ridiculous with the more interesting plot points gravely underutilized. For example, Nancy goes to an Emerson dance with Ned and meets up with one of his fraternity brothers, Basha, only to discover that Basha (also Indian) somehow knows Rai. Yeah. Because all people from India know each other when one is a college sophomore and the other is a TRAVELING CIRCUS PERFORMER. That makes sense. In another example, Nancy is sent to Washington D.C., summoned to the White House by the first lady herself, but they only spend one short paragraph describing her LUNCH AT THE FRAKKING PRESIDENT'S HOUSE. That's right. One paragraph. When they spend page after page describing what Nancy does while she's waiting for her next clue to appear.
Then there is a ridiculous ending that is, once again, too stupid to summarize. Nancy finds Coya after Rai kidnaps him again from the Drew house and restores him to his rightful place on the throne. Todd Chavez: "HoooorrraaaayyyYYY?"
Not so much. This is probably the most racist one in the whole bunch and not only is the story underwhelming but the overwhelming stereotyping just gave me Chrissy Teigen cringe face like the WHOLE time.
.5/5 Yep. That won't happen often.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Book #12: The Message in the Hollow Oak
The Nancy Drew Project: Nancy Drew reviews by a pop-culture obsessed and F-bomb dropping madwoman: Book #12: The Message in the Hollow Oak
Buried treasure!
Jealousy!
Abduction!
Skeletons!
Creepy perverts!
Towboat disasters!
A bitchy character that’s not a villain but we all get to relish in hating her anyway!
Alright, guys. I don’t want to get ahead of myself but…this might be my second 5/5 mags. It is…GLORIOUS.
The plot starts out with Nancy getting a mysterious call from her Aunt Eloise in New York. Eloise’s friend, Boyce Osborne, is a private detective and has been trying to discover the mystery of a centuries-old buried treasure. A french explorer, named Pere Francois, has left clues on various oak trees in the area with arrows pointing to the titular hollow oak. Of course, it’s been so long that some of the clues have been destroyed or removed. The detective needs to return to his clients but wants Nancy to finish the case. The only glitch is that Nancy will have to stay with a group of college archaeology students and help out with their dig.
Because Nancy is OF COURSE skilled in archaeology, she quickly accepts and flies out to rural Illinois to start her search. Nancy soon meets up with her group, including Julie Anne (super-smart friend of Ned’s) Art (future foil of Ned), Bob (the soon-to-be-abducted!), Theresa (group leader), and Claire Warwick (uppity know-it-all asshole).
Oh wait! I forgot something important. On the flight to Illinois, Nancy had this epic creeper as her seatmate. Clearly a man in his thirties/forties, he keeps winking at her and attempting to go through her purse. Um, gross, dude. Nancy is barely out of high-school. Is this grotesque debauchee simply your average airplane pervert who forgot his copy of “Barely Legal” in checked luggage? Is he this guy?
Spoiler alert: NO. He’s totally the villain. Boyce Osborne had warned Nancy that a man named Kit Kadle was also after the treasure. He’s skilled in the art of disguise a’la’ The List of Adrian Messenger and definitely ready to get Nancy out of the
way.
As Nancy tries to avoid Kadle and seek out the clues to find the treasure, she gets help from her group — especially Art, who clearly wants to major in Nancy Drew instead of archaeology. Of course, Nancy doesn’t help matters by ignoring the problem and continuing to ask Art to drive her into town on his motorcycle. It’s a crush so incredibly obvious that you kind of want to grab Nancy and remind her that people exist within mysteries and that they matter.
Poor Art is devastated when it is announced that Ned, Burt, Dave, Bess and George are flying in to help Nancy solve the remainder of the mystery, which is very quickly realized by Ned when he arrives. Oh, and Ned is not happy. Bess tries to solve the problem by getting Art to pay attention to Ned’s friend Julie Anne, but ends up just making everything and everyone more awkward.
Even with the overt sexual tensions afoot, the group manages to sift through a series of obstacles — one of the boys, Bob Snell is kidnapped by Kadle, George is almost crushed in a towboat disaster, and they all have to deal with the aforementioned uppity know-it-all beeyotch Claire Warwick. She’s one of those girls who feels the need to correct everyone, but with misinformation. I mean, my dear husband is an over-corrector, but at least he’s RIGHT. Claire Warwick is constantly spouting off at the mouth about how she heard the Hopi Indians might have beheaded their young as a sacrifice to crystal-skulled aliens or something. It might not have been that bad, but if the History Channel had existed back in 1972, I would have thought she was just regurgitating one of their terribly inaccurate specials.
Could Native Americans actually be the aliens that put us on this planet? This crude photo-shopped image of an alien in a native headdress is proof positive that the answer is…maybe? OR YES!
The History Channel blows. Also, this whole shebang is SUPER problematic in reference to Native people, which is not surprising given that Nancy Drew often has this issue of pigeonholing and stereotyping. Anyhoo, with the help of her friends, Nancy manages to track down the treasure, find Bob Snell, and trap the nefarious Kit Kadle. With NO help from Nancy, Bess is finally able to direct Art’s attention to the much more actually and emotionally available Julie Anne.
Awkwardness canceled! Mystery solved! Yaaayyyy!
Buuuuuutttt….still the cringe worthy racism, so…
4/5 mags
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Book #11: The Clue of the Broken Locket
Or, here is a list of other titles that would be more relevant:
The Clue in the Iron Bird
The Mystery at Misty Lake
The Secret of Pudding Stone Lodge
Yes, there is a broken locket, and the picture on the front cover depicts the discovery of said locket, but the locket itself doesn't really prove to be that huge of a clue, or an important part of the story.
While we're finding bones to pick with the covers, by the by, this is the first cover that shows Nancy, Bess and George and--guess what?--Bess looks like she weighs EXACTLY the same as the other two girls. So, either she's got maybe 3-4 lbs. on Nancy and George, or the illustrators didn't want a chubby girl befouling the Nancy Drew book covers. Honestly, either way I'm kind of offended. If she only weighs a couple of pounds more than the slender Nancy and George, then why do they give her such a hard time? And, if it's the latter--I mean come ON. Just make her more "average" sized on the book cover. It wouldn't have killed them to put a girl with curves on the cover. May times throughout the novels, Bess is described in narration as "prone to being overweight" or as plus-sized. So just make her look that way! I mean, despite these apparently unseemly extra pounds, she still bags more dudes than any other girl in the book. Okay. [Releases breath.] Rant over.
Despite my issues with the cover, this one is really awesome. In fact, it might be my second 5/5. I'm having trouble deciding, so I'll let you know by the end of the review. The basic story starts with Carson Drew asking Nancy, Bess and George to go out to a summer resort in Maryland called Misty Lake to meet up with a girl who was set to stay at one of the cabins. The man who was set to meet this girl with the key had decreed that he would never set foot near the cabin again, due to semi-nightly apparitions of a ghostly turn-of-the-century raft that appeared on the lake, seemingly the spirits of those who drowned in a tragic accident in the early 1900's. Dude, they should just re-market the resort as a ghost experience. I would be all OVER that. Anyway so it looks like we've got an honest-to-goodness HAUNTING! Oh, yeah!!!
Except, no. Nancy is convinced that the images are being projected somehow. Splugh. I was hoping for a haunting but...Nancy is always right. Anyhow, the girls arrive at the cabin and see a red-headed girl. Assuming this is the girl they are set to meet, they greet her, but she runs away screaming something about how they can't take her babies. Whoosh. Crazytown: Population, this girl. But then a girl who looks nearly identical to the baby crazy nutjob shows up. Her name is Cecily and she is trying to find a clue to a long-lost family treasure so that she can marry her budding rock-star boyfriend Niko VanDyke (who is apparently the 1966 Justin Beiber). Ooooohh. We may not have a haunting, but it looks like we have a doppelganger!
Cecily says that the clue to her family's fortune may be hidden in a place on the lake called "Pudding Stone Lodge" in an iron bird. When Nancy and the girls investigate, they find an odd family of acrobats named the Driscolls (including two young twins who may very well be the "babies" in question). While one of the brothers in the family yell at Nancy and co. and tell them never to return, the other brother is super-unctuous and insists they come whenever they please. The solicitous brother goes so far as to buy an iron bird in town and claim they found the heirloom, but Nancy has of course remembered that she saw the fake bird for sale in the General Store. Nothing gets by Nancy Drew.
When she goes back into town to question the locals about the Driscolls and about the strange other red-haired girl, she discovers another mystery. It looks like the latest record by Cecily's fiance, Niko Van Dyke, is being pirated and sold throughout the state! Are the Driscolls perhaps acrobats AND kidnappers AND pirates? Spoiler alert: YES.
After many reconnaissance missions to Pudding Stone Lodge, Nancy and the girls (including Cecily) discover that someone is being held prisoner there, likely Cecily's double. They alert the police but are thwarted when the Driscolls trick the dull-witted Misty Lake police officers into thinking everything is a-ok. Not to be outdone, Nancy sneaks back in and finds proof that the Driscolls and their gang are responsible for the pirating business, the projected images of the ghostly launch to scare away snoopers, and, as it turns out, the kidnapping of the two young twins. The "babies" actually belong to the imprisoned doppelganger, a cousin of Cecily's named Susan Wayne. She and her husband were victims of a hit and run while camping with the children and the perpetrators (this book's requisite total a-holes, the Driscolls) took off AND helped themselves to the dying couple's children. Nancy is captured with Susan, but not for long as she brought backup: Bess, George, Ned, Burt, Dave and Justin Beib--er, Niko Van Dyke all show up with the totally useless Misty Lake PD. Fortunately, their guns and handcuffs aren't useless, and the Driscolls and their gang are arrested, spouting many Scooby-Doo like expletives about Nancy being a "no-good snooping kid" and such.
Susan has her children back, Cecily has a new family member and, after a search, both find the lost family treasure. Yayyyy! Oh yeah, and at one point they find a locket and I totally forget about it. Yayyyyy!
Alright, this one comes close. I really want to give it 4 3/4 mags because it's so close to perfect. But I admit the action of them going back and forth to the Pudding Stone Lodge gets a bit tired for, like, a microsecond. Well, since it's my blog, I guess I can give it whatever score I please. 4 3/4 out of 5 mags it is!
Book #10: The Password to Larkspur Lane (1933) and Password to Larkspur Lane (1966)--comparison review
1933 Review
This one is great. You wouldn't think that a Nancy Drew mystery where the main plot is carrier pigeons and elderly people could be exciting, but it really is action-packed.
Nancy Drew is engaging in one of her thousand talents--horticulture--when she sees a pigeon fall from the sky, seemingly struck by a low-flying plane. Upon realizing that this is no ordinary rat with wings, but a carrier pigeon, Nancy decides to nurse it back to health and figure out who the pigeon was carrying a message to. The message the pigeon was carrying says: "Blue Bells now Singing Horses," hinting at the password to what we will soon know as Larkspur Lane. Soon thereafter, she sees a neighbor and family friend, Dr. Spires, pushed into an unmarked black car. When she calls on him later to see if he is still missing, she discovers she has yet another mystery brewing. Dr. Spires has been returned, but was kidnapped in order to treat an elderly woman at a reclusive estate. The good doctor was able to slip a bracelet off of the apparent prisoner, Nancy's only clue in finding out about these shenanigans.
Meanwhile, back on the Drew homestead, Hannah takes a nasty fall and a housekeeper must be sent to replace her for a few weeks. Unfortunately, they send the WORST PERSON EVER. Effie is scattered, clumsy, and constantly talking about an imaginary boyfriend that drives an ice truck (the ice truck killer?!). It's pretty obvious that she will be a thorn in Nancy's side, a theory proven when Effie lets the mysterious pigeon escape and Nancy has to break about seven laws to follow the bird to its homing location. All the while, Effie is sobbing and babbling like a godforsaken loon, and I really want to physically slap the book, but Nancy does my work for me by practically biting the girl's head off during their chase. At one point Effie, already crying, says "Oh, I could just cry!" and Nancy basically says: "Yeah, well DON'T. Shut your frikkin' pie-hole, Effie." Or at least that's what I imagine she says. It was basically the sentiment.
I admit, even though I am one who prefers the 1960's re-writes, I like this impatient bitchy Nancy. Nancy discovers a connection between the old woman imprisoned in the estate and the carrier pigeons--they are both going to a mansion on Larkspur Lane. At this point, the gang of ne'er do wells, including a disbarred lawyer and enemy of Carson Drew, Adam Thorne, are after Nancy. She can't step outside her home without being accosted, or having her purse stolen. It soon becomes evident that she needs to get the F out of D, so they say. Carson Drew has the solution--he was going to buy Nancy a new car anyway (really?! how rich is a single father? I feel like this is her third new car...) so they pull a fast one on the gang by slipping Nancy out in an unfamiliar car.
She goes off to stay with the Cornings at Sylvan Lake, one of the many lakeside cabins the Corning family seem to own. In the older edition, Helen Corning is not about to be married, but is dating a "deeply tanned" friend of Ned Nickerson's named Buck Rodman. I admit this and the introduction of Buck Rodman in Nancy's Mysterious Letter had me a bit confused and thinking that Helen Corning was having a cheap affair with some Muskoka Shore Guido. Anyhoo, The girls and their dates decide to take a load off by hitting the beach, but Nancy of course manages to find more clues to the mystery. She saves a little girl from drowning (add lifeguarding and CPR to her list of skills) and discovers that the girl's mother is named Eldridge and is a relative of the missing elderly woman at Larkspur Lane. Nancy and Helen head over to Larkspur Lane and discover that, along with the woman Dr. Spires treated, there are several more elderly people being held against their will, seemingly part of a plot to steal their money. Nancy makes contact with the elder Mrs. Eldridge and promises to come back.
Nancy and Helen decide to go undercover, with Helen pretending to be a nurse and Nancy pretending to be an old widow. They manage to pull the old switcharoo, getting Mrs. Eldridge out with Helen, but Nancy ends up trapped by Adam Thorne and his gang of miscreants. They shove Nancy in an old subterranean cistern but, since she is basically MacGyver, she climbs her way out. The gang are about to escape in a small plane (the same one, incidentally, that hit the pigeon and started all of this craziness) but Nancy pulls a John MacLane and sets the fuel gage on fire.
That's right, Nancy Drew SETS HER ENEMIES ON FIRE. Don't mess with this bitch.
The slightly charred criminals are taken into custody, Mrs. Eldridge is reunited with her family, and the pigeons are set free--free to take a dump on the nice buildings of River Heights and eat discarded food. Awwwwww.
This one is pretty awesome. I took off a mag because it's a bit slower generally--there are several of those scenes that annoy me where Nancy is interrupted from her detective work but too polite to just peace out. I added another half a mag because Nancy Drew SETS HER ENEMIES ON FIRE. Kick-ass. This one gets 4 1/2 mags out of 5.
1966 Review
This plot unfolds in a pretty similar fashion, but with an added mystery at Sylvan Lake with the Cornings. Nancy Drew is asked by the Cornings to investigate a recurring apparition--a ring of blue fire that appears a distance from the cabin. There is also the matter of the Corning's groundskeeper, Morgan, who seems unwillingly connected to Adam Thorne and the gang of swindlers. In this book, Adam Thorne is not a disbarred lawyer but an ex-con who was put away by Carson Drew.
In addition, Bess and George play a far bigger role in this book, and Helen Corning is now married to Jim Archer (thus, she is now Helen Archer). During the climax, Nancy drains the fuel from the plane's fuselage but does NOT set her enemies on fire. Booooooo!
This one is similarly great. The action moves quickly and the addition of Bess and George make for a lighter read during the lead-up to the climax. I took away a half mag, due to Nancy not SETTING HER ENEMIES ON FIRE. I really did miss that. So, another 4 1/2 out of 5, but for different reasons.
Points for the 1933 version
*Nancy is kind of a bitch--in the most delightful way
*Nancy SETS HER ENEMIES ON FIRE
*I get to make fun of Buck Rodman
Points for 1966 version
*The pacing is far better
*At least 60% fewer annoying interruptions
*Bess and George
*No racial slurs
This one is great. You wouldn't think that a Nancy Drew mystery where the main plot is carrier pigeons and elderly people could be exciting, but it really is action-packed.
Nancy Drew is engaging in one of her thousand talents--horticulture--when she sees a pigeon fall from the sky, seemingly struck by a low-flying plane. Upon realizing that this is no ordinary rat with wings, but a carrier pigeon, Nancy decides to nurse it back to health and figure out who the pigeon was carrying a message to. The message the pigeon was carrying says: "Blue Bells now Singing Horses," hinting at the password to what we will soon know as Larkspur Lane. Soon thereafter, she sees a neighbor and family friend, Dr. Spires, pushed into an unmarked black car. When she calls on him later to see if he is still missing, she discovers she has yet another mystery brewing. Dr. Spires has been returned, but was kidnapped in order to treat an elderly woman at a reclusive estate. The good doctor was able to slip a bracelet off of the apparent prisoner, Nancy's only clue in finding out about these shenanigans.
Meanwhile, back on the Drew homestead, Hannah takes a nasty fall and a housekeeper must be sent to replace her for a few weeks. Unfortunately, they send the WORST PERSON EVER. Effie is scattered, clumsy, and constantly talking about an imaginary boyfriend that drives an ice truck (the ice truck killer?!). It's pretty obvious that she will be a thorn in Nancy's side, a theory proven when Effie lets the mysterious pigeon escape and Nancy has to break about seven laws to follow the bird to its homing location. All the while, Effie is sobbing and babbling like a godforsaken loon, and I really want to physically slap the book, but Nancy does my work for me by practically biting the girl's head off during their chase. At one point Effie, already crying, says "Oh, I could just cry!" and Nancy basically says: "Yeah, well DON'T. Shut your frikkin' pie-hole, Effie." Or at least that's what I imagine she says. It was basically the sentiment.
I admit, even though I am one who prefers the 1960's re-writes, I like this impatient bitchy Nancy. Nancy discovers a connection between the old woman imprisoned in the estate and the carrier pigeons--they are both going to a mansion on Larkspur Lane. At this point, the gang of ne'er do wells, including a disbarred lawyer and enemy of Carson Drew, Adam Thorne, are after Nancy. She can't step outside her home without being accosted, or having her purse stolen. It soon becomes evident that she needs to get the F out of D, so they say. Carson Drew has the solution--he was going to buy Nancy a new car anyway (really?! how rich is a single father? I feel like this is her third new car...) so they pull a fast one on the gang by slipping Nancy out in an unfamiliar car.
She goes off to stay with the Cornings at Sylvan Lake, one of the many lakeside cabins the Corning family seem to own. In the older edition, Helen Corning is not about to be married, but is dating a "deeply tanned" friend of Ned Nickerson's named Buck Rodman. I admit this and the introduction of Buck Rodman in Nancy's Mysterious Letter had me a bit confused and thinking that Helen Corning was having a cheap affair with some Muskoka Shore Guido. Anyhoo, The girls and their dates decide to take a load off by hitting the beach, but Nancy of course manages to find more clues to the mystery. She saves a little girl from drowning (add lifeguarding and CPR to her list of skills) and discovers that the girl's mother is named Eldridge and is a relative of the missing elderly woman at Larkspur Lane. Nancy and Helen head over to Larkspur Lane and discover that, along with the woman Dr. Spires treated, there are several more elderly people being held against their will, seemingly part of a plot to steal their money. Nancy makes contact with the elder Mrs. Eldridge and promises to come back.
Nancy and Helen decide to go undercover, with Helen pretending to be a nurse and Nancy pretending to be an old widow. They manage to pull the old switcharoo, getting Mrs. Eldridge out with Helen, but Nancy ends up trapped by Adam Thorne and his gang of miscreants. They shove Nancy in an old subterranean cistern but, since she is basically MacGyver, she climbs her way out. The gang are about to escape in a small plane (the same one, incidentally, that hit the pigeon and started all of this craziness) but Nancy pulls a John MacLane and sets the fuel gage on fire.
That's right, Nancy Drew SETS HER ENEMIES ON FIRE. Don't mess with this bitch.
The slightly charred criminals are taken into custody, Mrs. Eldridge is reunited with her family, and the pigeons are set free--free to take a dump on the nice buildings of River Heights and eat discarded food. Awwwwww.
This one is pretty awesome. I took off a mag because it's a bit slower generally--there are several of those scenes that annoy me where Nancy is interrupted from her detective work but too polite to just peace out. I added another half a mag because Nancy Drew SETS HER ENEMIES ON FIRE. Kick-ass. This one gets 4 1/2 mags out of 5.
1966 Review
This plot unfolds in a pretty similar fashion, but with an added mystery at Sylvan Lake with the Cornings. Nancy Drew is asked by the Cornings to investigate a recurring apparition--a ring of blue fire that appears a distance from the cabin. There is also the matter of the Corning's groundskeeper, Morgan, who seems unwillingly connected to Adam Thorne and the gang of swindlers. In this book, Adam Thorne is not a disbarred lawyer but an ex-con who was put away by Carson Drew.
In addition, Bess and George play a far bigger role in this book, and Helen Corning is now married to Jim Archer (thus, she is now Helen Archer). During the climax, Nancy drains the fuel from the plane's fuselage but does NOT set her enemies on fire. Booooooo!
This one is similarly great. The action moves quickly and the addition of Bess and George make for a lighter read during the lead-up to the climax. I took away a half mag, due to Nancy not SETTING HER ENEMIES ON FIRE. I really did miss that. So, another 4 1/2 out of 5, but for different reasons.
Points for the 1933 version
*Nancy is kind of a bitch--in the most delightful way
*Nancy SETS HER ENEMIES ON FIRE
*I get to make fun of Buck Rodman
Points for 1966 version
*The pacing is far better
*At least 60% fewer annoying interruptions
*Bess and George
*No racial slurs
Monday, October 28, 2013
Book #9: The Sign of the Twisted Candles
A.K.A. "Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will?" starring Nancy Drew!
Alright, so it's possible that references to poorly received comedies from the 1990's are not relevant. But seriously. It's "Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will?" starring Nancy Drew.
This one starts out with Nancy, Bess and George traveling to visit an Inn called "Sign of the Twisted Candles," owned by an elderly relative of the Marvin and Fayne family but operated by two other douchebags. Ooops. Gave that one away. But, spoiler alerts aside, it's pretty obvious from the get-go that the married couple operating the inn, Mr. and Mrs. Jemmit, are total d-bags. While lunching at the inn, Nancy, Bess and George overhear a young waitress named Carol all in a tizzy because she has been forbidden from bringing lunch to Asa Sidney. Being that Bess and George are relatives of the elderly Mr. Sidney, Nancy insists on taking the tray of food for her.
As it turns out, old man Sidney is turning 100 that very day, and doesn't feel like he has a friend in the world other than Carol Whipple, the teen-aged waitress who works at the inn under the almost Disney-esque foster parent villainy of the Jemmits. Apparently, his actual family members have never really visited until now that he's over a hundred and will probably die soon. Yikes. Bess and George's great uncle and grandfather are apparently the worst offenders in this circling-vultures scenario.
Old Man Sidney's Dyin'! Who's Got the Will?
Of course, Asa Sidney ends up hastily changing his will with the aid of Carson Drew, and dies the very next day. This leads into the "family feud" plot, wherein Bess and George stop talking to Nancy because their parents have clearly told them that Nancy and her father underhandedly convinced Asa Sidney to change his will and disinherit them.
Unfortunately, this is the part where the book loses me for a while. The plot itself is great--with twists and turns and villains hiding around every corner. But the behavior of Bess and George just didn't make sense to me. Yes, friends fight, and Bess, George and Nancy often do, but this is different and wildly out of character. For one, if George thought that Nancy was doing something wrong, she would flat-out confront her about it, whereas in Book #9 she hides in her house and refuses to speak to Nancy. Yeah, that's not the George Fayne I know and love. Bess, similarly, coldly snubs Nancy. That's SO not Bess. She might burst into tears and storm out, but the stone-cold bitch thing just isn't Bess. Later in the book, they make up and admit that they had been convinced by their great-uncle that the Drews were up to no good, but I can't help but think that they could have handled the "friendship crisis" a lot better in this book.
The last chunk of the book is non-stop excitement. Nancy and Ned have a date...with danger! Nancy get's her fourth head injury (awwwwww). Nancy is drugged, finds a snake in a box, and ends up being dangled from a windowpane like a guy that owes money to the mob. Whoosh!
In the end, the Jemmits are arrested and it is discovered that Carol Whipple, Asa Sidney's only friend, is also his biological great-grandniece--a fact that he was too ashamed to tell her, as he felt he had not given his own wife and children the love they needed. Soon, both sides of the family calm down about the will...but then start a fight about who will foster Carol. Awwww. Just like "Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will?" Blood is thicker than water...
This is a very good one, but I can't help but be left with a sour taste in my mouth due to the out-of-character behavior of Bess and George. This one might have been a 4 1/2 or 5, but I'm landing on 4/5 mags.
Head Injury Count: 1 (4 total)
Alright, so it's possible that references to poorly received comedies from the 1990's are not relevant. But seriously. It's "Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will?" starring Nancy Drew.
This one starts out with Nancy, Bess and George traveling to visit an Inn called "Sign of the Twisted Candles," owned by an elderly relative of the Marvin and Fayne family but operated by two other douchebags. Ooops. Gave that one away. But, spoiler alerts aside, it's pretty obvious from the get-go that the married couple operating the inn, Mr. and Mrs. Jemmit, are total d-bags. While lunching at the inn, Nancy, Bess and George overhear a young waitress named Carol all in a tizzy because she has been forbidden from bringing lunch to Asa Sidney. Being that Bess and George are relatives of the elderly Mr. Sidney, Nancy insists on taking the tray of food for her.
As it turns out, old man Sidney is turning 100 that very day, and doesn't feel like he has a friend in the world other than Carol Whipple, the teen-aged waitress who works at the inn under the almost Disney-esque foster parent villainy of the Jemmits. Apparently, his actual family members have never really visited until now that he's over a hundred and will probably die soon. Yikes. Bess and George's great uncle and grandfather are apparently the worst offenders in this circling-vultures scenario.
Old Man Sidney's Dyin'! Who's Got the Will?
Of course, Asa Sidney ends up hastily changing his will with the aid of Carson Drew, and dies the very next day. This leads into the "family feud" plot, wherein Bess and George stop talking to Nancy because their parents have clearly told them that Nancy and her father underhandedly convinced Asa Sidney to change his will and disinherit them.
Unfortunately, this is the part where the book loses me for a while. The plot itself is great--with twists and turns and villains hiding around every corner. But the behavior of Bess and George just didn't make sense to me. Yes, friends fight, and Bess, George and Nancy often do, but this is different and wildly out of character. For one, if George thought that Nancy was doing something wrong, she would flat-out confront her about it, whereas in Book #9 she hides in her house and refuses to speak to Nancy. Yeah, that's not the George Fayne I know and love. Bess, similarly, coldly snubs Nancy. That's SO not Bess. She might burst into tears and storm out, but the stone-cold bitch thing just isn't Bess. Later in the book, they make up and admit that they had been convinced by their great-uncle that the Drews were up to no good, but I can't help but think that they could have handled the "friendship crisis" a lot better in this book.
The last chunk of the book is non-stop excitement. Nancy and Ned have a date...with danger! Nancy get's her fourth head injury (awwwwww). Nancy is drugged, finds a snake in a box, and ends up being dangled from a windowpane like a guy that owes money to the mob. Whoosh!
In the end, the Jemmits are arrested and it is discovered that Carol Whipple, Asa Sidney's only friend, is also his biological great-grandniece--a fact that he was too ashamed to tell her, as he felt he had not given his own wife and children the love they needed. Soon, both sides of the family calm down about the will...but then start a fight about who will foster Carol. Awwww. Just like "Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will?" Blood is thicker than water...
This is a very good one, but I can't help but be left with a sour taste in my mouth due to the out-of-character behavior of Bess and George. This one might have been a 4 1/2 or 5, but I'm landing on 4/5 mags.
Head Injury Count: 1 (4 total)
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Book #8: Nancy's Mysterious Letter (1932 version)
...or, as it should be known "Nancy vs. A Bunch of Total A-holes and Constant Interruptions"
This is the 1932 original version of the story. It should be noted that the rewrite eliminated parts of the story as well as the blatant racial slurs.
Nancy's Mysterious Letter gets to the story just as quickly as usual--in the first chapter, Nancy receives the "mysterious letter" and invites the kindly postman, Ira Dixon, in for hot cocoa. By 1st chapter's end, the postman's mailbag is stolen and his career is in ruins! Oh, poor Ira Dixon! But...let's get back to that mysterious letter.
Or NOT.
Nancy runs around the neighborhood trying to track down the evil man who stole the bag, getting a surprising amount of information from a young boy named Tommy (I feel like Tommy comes back in Whispering Statue). Then, Nancy decides to go face the music with Mr. Dixon. All the while, Nancy keeps the letter in her pocket so that she can read it later.
I'm all for your weekly charity cases, Nancy, but remember that letter? Yeah, we want you to frakkin' read it already.
Unfortunately, my silent pleas are ignored, as they are made to a book that is over 80 years old. Nancy goes to the Postmaster's office and finds a man whom she describes as "very unpleasant." Uh, THAT'S the understatement of the year. The postmaster, Mr. Cutter, screams at Nancy, blaming her for the theft, and promises to fire Ira Dixon without pension and discharge him dishonorably. Really? For a mail bag? Uhhhh...okay. Anyhoo, the postmaster calls the police, who surreptitiously tell the man that he's berating the daughter of Carson Drew. Of course, the sycophantic buffoon proceeds to kiss her ass. But Nancy's in no mood for her practically perfect ass to get kissed. Oh, no. She's got a letter to read.
OR DOES SHE?
She goes home, expecting to read the letter, but finds she has to drive Bess and George home, along with several bags of squash (WHAT?). Then, of course, Nancy has to help Bess inside with the squash and make pleasantries with Mrs. Marvin, all the while grasping the letter inside her coat pocket and praying she can read it soon.
Seriously, screw manners, Nancy. Just READ THE LETTER.
But no. Now it's too dark to read the letter, and Nancy almost loses it when it flies out of her coat pocket and back into her convertible. Close call. Why don't you stop somewhere with a light and READ THE LETTER? She finally gets home, and explains the letter to Hannah and her father. The letter opener is in her hand and she slowly starts to cut through the envelope when...
The doorbell rings. It's Ned Nickerson, asking Nancy on some kind of elaborate weekend date and to meet his parents. Whoop-de-frikkin'-do, Ned. We all love you but there's a MYSTERIOUS LETTER to read, man! Then, just as I think I might explode, Ned and Mr. Drew start to talk about football and Nancy just zones out (been there, Nancy) but still feels like she has to sit there and listen to their boring-ass sports con-fab.
3-2-1...Kate explodes. But, just after my splattered remains are recovered, Nancy finally reads the letter. After 50 PAGES. It's a notice from a legal firm in London, wondering if she is Nancy Smith Drew, a woman who stands to gain a large inheritance but the estate lawyers have not been able to locate her. Of course, Nancy takes on this mystery too.
Just as she is about to start investigating, another very unpleasant person (VUP) shows up at the Drew abode. Her name is Maude Sheets, the wife of Sailor Joe Sheets (I know what you're thinking but, despite their ridiculous names, they are not the perpetrators). Turns out, Maude is sent a weekly stipend from Sailor Joe's sister as he is often away on long voyages (which I would be too if I was married to that infuriating hag). Apparently, it's all Nancy's fault that she didn't get her mail (because she invited Mr. Dixon in, I guess--but who leaves their mail bag out on the street?). Not only does Nancy owe her $10, but she proceeds to ramble on about how Nancy's generation has no respect for her elders, and Nancy should be scrubbing floors and making dinner, blah blah blah. What. A. Bitch. Nancy promises her the $10 so she'll shut up and we are all thankful.
Nancy goes down to the bank to get $10 (no ATMs in River Heights in 1932, yo) and runs into the postmaster again, who yells at her, claiming he now doesn't care who she is--he'll have her blamed for all the stolen mail. Then, she must endure another lecture from Maude Sheets when she shows up with the $10. I swear, all of this is taking another 50 pages. But finally Nancy gets home and can start focusing on the mystery...
DING-DONG.
That's right. It's Maude Sheets again, who proceeds to scream at Nancy again for being a disrespectful youngin' who deserves to get "taken over the knee," and then toss the ten dollar bill at Nancy's feet and offhandedly tell her she got the mail after all. Seriously, if I were Nancy, I would claw this woman's face off right about now.
Sorry for the long recap of the worst part of the book, but I had to. The second half (this book is 200 pgs--longer than most in the ND collection) progresses much more smoothly, with the focus mainly on Nancy heading to Emerson for Ned's big football game and, with the help of Mr. Nickerson, tracking down Ira Dixon's no-good mailbag-stealing brother, Edgar Dixon. He, along with being responsible for ruining his half-brother's USPS career, has been running a Nigerian Prince-type mail scam to get money from naive housewives. She also discovers that Nancy Smith Drew, the subject of her mysterious letter, is set to marry the evil Edgar Dixon. Of course, just in the nick of time, Nancy saves the other Miss Drew from being on the River Heights Edition of "Mob Wives" and gets her the proof she needs to claim her inheritance. Edgar Dixon gets away (a rarity for Nancy Drew cases) but is never heard from again, and Ira Dixon is cleared and receives his pension. Three cheers for Nancy Drew!
This one is a toughie. If I were rating just the second half of the book, it would get 4 stars. But, despite having some good villains, both evil (Edgar Dixon) and regular (Mr. Cutter and Maude Sheets), the first part was just too rage-inducing. I give this one a 2 1/2 out of 5.
Head Injury Count: 0 (3 total)
Racial Slurs: 3+
Total A-Holes: 5
Interruptions: Countless
This is the 1932 original version of the story. It should be noted that the rewrite eliminated parts of the story as well as the blatant racial slurs.
Nancy's Mysterious Letter gets to the story just as quickly as usual--in the first chapter, Nancy receives the "mysterious letter" and invites the kindly postman, Ira Dixon, in for hot cocoa. By 1st chapter's end, the postman's mailbag is stolen and his career is in ruins! Oh, poor Ira Dixon! But...let's get back to that mysterious letter.
Or NOT.
Nancy runs around the neighborhood trying to track down the evil man who stole the bag, getting a surprising amount of information from a young boy named Tommy (I feel like Tommy comes back in Whispering Statue). Then, Nancy decides to go face the music with Mr. Dixon. All the while, Nancy keeps the letter in her pocket so that she can read it later.
I'm all for your weekly charity cases, Nancy, but remember that letter? Yeah, we want you to frakkin' read it already.
Unfortunately, my silent pleas are ignored, as they are made to a book that is over 80 years old. Nancy goes to the Postmaster's office and finds a man whom she describes as "very unpleasant." Uh, THAT'S the understatement of the year. The postmaster, Mr. Cutter, screams at Nancy, blaming her for the theft, and promises to fire Ira Dixon without pension and discharge him dishonorably. Really? For a mail bag? Uhhhh...okay. Anyhoo, the postmaster calls the police, who surreptitiously tell the man that he's berating the daughter of Carson Drew. Of course, the sycophantic buffoon proceeds to kiss her ass. But Nancy's in no mood for her practically perfect ass to get kissed. Oh, no. She's got a letter to read.
OR DOES SHE?
She goes home, expecting to read the letter, but finds she has to drive Bess and George home, along with several bags of squash (WHAT?). Then, of course, Nancy has to help Bess inside with the squash and make pleasantries with Mrs. Marvin, all the while grasping the letter inside her coat pocket and praying she can read it soon.
Seriously, screw manners, Nancy. Just READ THE LETTER.
But no. Now it's too dark to read the letter, and Nancy almost loses it when it flies out of her coat pocket and back into her convertible. Close call. Why don't you stop somewhere with a light and READ THE LETTER? She finally gets home, and explains the letter to Hannah and her father. The letter opener is in her hand and she slowly starts to cut through the envelope when...
The doorbell rings. It's Ned Nickerson, asking Nancy on some kind of elaborate weekend date and to meet his parents. Whoop-de-frikkin'-do, Ned. We all love you but there's a MYSTERIOUS LETTER to read, man! Then, just as I think I might explode, Ned and Mr. Drew start to talk about football and Nancy just zones out (been there, Nancy) but still feels like she has to sit there and listen to their boring-ass sports con-fab.
3-2-1...Kate explodes. But, just after my splattered remains are recovered, Nancy finally reads the letter. After 50 PAGES. It's a notice from a legal firm in London, wondering if she is Nancy Smith Drew, a woman who stands to gain a large inheritance but the estate lawyers have not been able to locate her. Of course, Nancy takes on this mystery too.
Just as she is about to start investigating, another very unpleasant person (VUP) shows up at the Drew abode. Her name is Maude Sheets, the wife of Sailor Joe Sheets (I know what you're thinking but, despite their ridiculous names, they are not the perpetrators). Turns out, Maude is sent a weekly stipend from Sailor Joe's sister as he is often away on long voyages (which I would be too if I was married to that infuriating hag). Apparently, it's all Nancy's fault that she didn't get her mail (because she invited Mr. Dixon in, I guess--but who leaves their mail bag out on the street?). Not only does Nancy owe her $10, but she proceeds to ramble on about how Nancy's generation has no respect for her elders, and Nancy should be scrubbing floors and making dinner, blah blah blah. What. A. Bitch. Nancy promises her the $10 so she'll shut up and we are all thankful.
Nancy goes down to the bank to get $10 (no ATMs in River Heights in 1932, yo) and runs into the postmaster again, who yells at her, claiming he now doesn't care who she is--he'll have her blamed for all the stolen mail. Then, she must endure another lecture from Maude Sheets when she shows up with the $10. I swear, all of this is taking another 50 pages. But finally Nancy gets home and can start focusing on the mystery...
DING-DONG.
That's right. It's Maude Sheets again, who proceeds to scream at Nancy again for being a disrespectful youngin' who deserves to get "taken over the knee," and then toss the ten dollar bill at Nancy's feet and offhandedly tell her she got the mail after all. Seriously, if I were Nancy, I would claw this woman's face off right about now.
Sorry for the long recap of the worst part of the book, but I had to. The second half (this book is 200 pgs--longer than most in the ND collection) progresses much more smoothly, with the focus mainly on Nancy heading to Emerson for Ned's big football game and, with the help of Mr. Nickerson, tracking down Ira Dixon's no-good mailbag-stealing brother, Edgar Dixon. He, along with being responsible for ruining his half-brother's USPS career, has been running a Nigerian Prince-type mail scam to get money from naive housewives. She also discovers that Nancy Smith Drew, the subject of her mysterious letter, is set to marry the evil Edgar Dixon. Of course, just in the nick of time, Nancy saves the other Miss Drew from being on the River Heights Edition of "Mob Wives" and gets her the proof she needs to claim her inheritance. Edgar Dixon gets away (a rarity for Nancy Drew cases) but is never heard from again, and Ira Dixon is cleared and receives his pension. Three cheers for Nancy Drew!
This one is a toughie. If I were rating just the second half of the book, it would get 4 stars. But, despite having some good villains, both evil (Edgar Dixon) and regular (Mr. Cutter and Maude Sheets), the first part was just too rage-inducing. I give this one a 2 1/2 out of 5.
Head Injury Count: 0 (3 total)
Racial Slurs: 3+
Total A-Holes: 5
Interruptions: Countless
Monday, October 14, 2013
Book #7: The Clue in the Diary
Starring NANCY DREW as our heroine!
BESS MARVIN as the "But I wanted to wash my hair!" scaredy-cat whiner that we all love anyway!
GEORGE FAYNE as Buttercup the Powerpuff...er, I mean as Nancy's fearless chum!
...and introducing NED NICKERSON as Nancy's charming new suitor!
That's right, despite the numerous errors in The Secret of Shadow Ranch, this is the book where Nancy finally meets Ned! Oh, and it's awesome, let me tell you.
This one starts out with Nancy's curiosity already piqued by a family in need, the Swensons. The father has been mysteriously absent and the daughter's name is "Honey" so you already know our heartstrings will be tugged by this book's charity case. While Bess, George and Nancy are on their way back from town, they see an enormous explosion and a mansion engulfed in flames.
Woah. There are seriously a lot of explosions in these books. Boat explosions, cabin explosions, and now a whole mansion. What I want to know is: when will we get to read about Nancy running in slow motion from the explosion like Jeff Bridges in that movie Blown Away? I guess I'm not expecting it. If Nancy ever faced a bomb before the fact, we would probably discover that, among her other varied talents, she's also a skilled bomb difuser.
Anyhoo, Nancy and her friends run up to the burning house to make sure no person or kitten is trapped inside, and sees a mysterious man running from the fire! He drops the titular diary (do you think there's a clue in it, guys?!) and escapes. A frustrated Nancy heads back to her car, only to see a young man driving away with it. "WTF?!" Nancy wants to shout. But, being a proper young lady, she merely runs alongside the car, baffled when the young man parks it at a safe distance from the fire.
And who is this young man? None other than Ned Nickerson, of course--car thief and gentleman.
Swoon!!!
Ned takes an instant liking to Nancy and soon becomes embroiled in the mystery, although it's pretty obvious that he's only doing so to get close to our heroine. As it turns out, the owner of the exploded mansion is Felix Raybolt, known to many in the Mapleton area as "Foxy Felix." Foxy Felix has been known to buy patents and promise royalties to inventors, only to renig on the contract and laugh in the inventors' faces, dancing like a happy prospector and shouting "haHA! I gots your money!" Okay, the happy prospector thing I made up, but doesn't it make sense?
The plot thickens when Nancy realizes that Mrs. Swenson's missing husband is the man whom Nancy caught running from the fire, and that the diary she found written in Swedish is his. Ruh-Roh! Of course, Nancy comes to the conclusion that I did: no one with an adorable, malnourished child named Honey is going to be responsible for a house explosion. It's just not going to happen. My money's on Foxy Felix. Mostly because of...you know...his name.
Nancy, Bess and George set out to find Foxy Felix, intensifying their efforts when Mr. Swenson is arrested. Talk of a strange unkempt man, often seen dancing like a happy prospector, has spread around the country outskirts of Mapleton, and Nancy knows this man to be Felix Raybolt. Also, she has, with the help of the kindly old Swedish baker, translated the diary and figured out that Felix must have a safe with papers that could prove his guilt somewhere in the mansion's foundation. So, despite Hannah's insistence that they "need a man" to go with them, and Bess's moaning about giving up three dates and wanting to spend the evening washing her hair, Nancy insists the three girls go to the exploded house ruins and lie in wait for Foxy Felix.
After the world's most boring stakeout (Bess keeps insisting she's heard something, George yells at her, and then they both fall asleep), Nancy comes face to face with the nefarious Foxy Felix! With the help of Carson Drew and Ned Nickerson, who show up in the nick of time (I don't love the fact that Nancy did in fact end up "needing a man," but Bess and George were off snoring in the woods, so I get that) and restrain the man.
Then, as is the case with most Nancy Drew books, everyone is happy! Foxy Felix and his Cruella Deville-esque wife confess, Joe Swenson and his family are given money for his inventions (Yay! Honey won't starve to death!), and Nancy now has a favorite date. Woo-hoo!
I really do like this one. I admit, it lags somewhat during the Swenson scenes and Bess and George are kind of pulling a Helen Corning in this one, so there are some flaws, but the early chemistry between Nancy and Ned is almost palpable and the action sequences are definitely exciting. I give this one a 4/5.
Head Injury Count: 0 (3 total)
Explosion Count: 1 (3 total)
BESS MARVIN as the "But I wanted to wash my hair!" scaredy-cat whiner that we all love anyway!
GEORGE FAYNE as Buttercup the Powerpuff...er, I mean as Nancy's fearless chum!
...and introducing NED NICKERSON as Nancy's charming new suitor!
That's right, despite the numerous errors in The Secret of Shadow Ranch, this is the book where Nancy finally meets Ned! Oh, and it's awesome, let me tell you.
This one starts out with Nancy's curiosity already piqued by a family in need, the Swensons. The father has been mysteriously absent and the daughter's name is "Honey" so you already know our heartstrings will be tugged by this book's charity case. While Bess, George and Nancy are on their way back from town, they see an enormous explosion and a mansion engulfed in flames.
Woah. There are seriously a lot of explosions in these books. Boat explosions, cabin explosions, and now a whole mansion. What I want to know is: when will we get to read about Nancy running in slow motion from the explosion like Jeff Bridges in that movie Blown Away? I guess I'm not expecting it. If Nancy ever faced a bomb before the fact, we would probably discover that, among her other varied talents, she's also a skilled bomb difuser.
Anyhoo, Nancy and her friends run up to the burning house to make sure no person or kitten is trapped inside, and sees a mysterious man running from the fire! He drops the titular diary (do you think there's a clue in it, guys?!) and escapes. A frustrated Nancy heads back to her car, only to see a young man driving away with it. "WTF?!" Nancy wants to shout. But, being a proper young lady, she merely runs alongside the car, baffled when the young man parks it at a safe distance from the fire.
And who is this young man? None other than Ned Nickerson, of course--car thief and gentleman.
Swoon!!!
Ned takes an instant liking to Nancy and soon becomes embroiled in the mystery, although it's pretty obvious that he's only doing so to get close to our heroine. As it turns out, the owner of the exploded mansion is Felix Raybolt, known to many in the Mapleton area as "Foxy Felix." Foxy Felix has been known to buy patents and promise royalties to inventors, only to renig on the contract and laugh in the inventors' faces, dancing like a happy prospector and shouting "haHA! I gots your money!" Okay, the happy prospector thing I made up, but doesn't it make sense?
The plot thickens when Nancy realizes that Mrs. Swenson's missing husband is the man whom Nancy caught running from the fire, and that the diary she found written in Swedish is his. Ruh-Roh! Of course, Nancy comes to the conclusion that I did: no one with an adorable, malnourished child named Honey is going to be responsible for a house explosion. It's just not going to happen. My money's on Foxy Felix. Mostly because of...you know...his name.
Nancy, Bess and George set out to find Foxy Felix, intensifying their efforts when Mr. Swenson is arrested. Talk of a strange unkempt man, often seen dancing like a happy prospector, has spread around the country outskirts of Mapleton, and Nancy knows this man to be Felix Raybolt. Also, she has, with the help of the kindly old Swedish baker, translated the diary and figured out that Felix must have a safe with papers that could prove his guilt somewhere in the mansion's foundation. So, despite Hannah's insistence that they "need a man" to go with them, and Bess's moaning about giving up three dates and wanting to spend the evening washing her hair, Nancy insists the three girls go to the exploded house ruins and lie in wait for Foxy Felix.
After the world's most boring stakeout (Bess keeps insisting she's heard something, George yells at her, and then they both fall asleep), Nancy comes face to face with the nefarious Foxy Felix! With the help of Carson Drew and Ned Nickerson, who show up in the nick of time (I don't love the fact that Nancy did in fact end up "needing a man," but Bess and George were off snoring in the woods, so I get that) and restrain the man.
Then, as is the case with most Nancy Drew books, everyone is happy! Foxy Felix and his Cruella Deville-esque wife confess, Joe Swenson and his family are given money for his inventions (Yay! Honey won't starve to death!), and Nancy now has a favorite date. Woo-hoo!
I really do like this one. I admit, it lags somewhat during the Swenson scenes and Bess and George are kind of pulling a Helen Corning in this one, so there are some flaws, but the early chemistry between Nancy and Ned is almost palpable and the action sequences are definitely exciting. I give this one a 4/5.
Head Injury Count: 0 (3 total)
Explosion Count: 1 (3 total)
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