Last Friday was my oldest daughter’s birthday, and on Saturday I took her to see the Nancy Drew movie. First, we went to Nova Cinemas (formerly Landmark Theaters) just before noon to catch the 12:05 showing. Nova has a deal where it’s only $4 per person to get in, and they have a “popcorn and pop” special for only $2. That makes things more affordable than any other theater in town. Plus, they’re close to home.
However, when I got up to the counter and asked for two tickets to see “Nancy Drew,” the teenaged worker informed me that they had cancelled all their “Nancy Drew” showings because the projector was broken. I’ve gone to a lot of movies in my lifetime, and I have to say that I’ve never, ever been turned away from a movie — especially in a multi-screen cineplex — because “the projector broke.” After staring at her a few seconds in disbelief, my daughter and I left and went to Rave Motion Picture Theaters out by the Shoppes at Grand Prairie. Of course, we were too late for the noon movie by that point, so we got tickets to the 2:25 showing.
When we finally got to see the movie, we both enjoyed it. The critics complain that it’s contrived and predictable, but those critics aren’t seven-year-old girls. My daughter had no idea what was going to happen next. Those critics also apparently never read a Nancy Drew book; they weren’t exactly groundbreaking works of realism. It was a clean, funny, and thoroughly family-friendly movie. It was refreshingly free of cynicism, with the character of Nancy Drew maintaining her integrity and sincerity. The sight gags and physical humor were well-executed, and the pacing was perfect.
If you decide to see it (or any other movie) at Nova, be sure to call first to find out if their projectors are working.
It looks like that place does have a lot of problems. I went there I think around February and the heat was out. They would still let us in to watch it but you’d have to put up with the freezing cold. Although what can you expect from a cheap theater. Westlake was pretty much the same before it finally closed.
Went to the Rave? Did you pay off the loan for the tickets and the food?
You daughter is still a little young, but HerInterative produces a fabulous series of Nancy Drew computer games. They are full of puzzles and hunting for clues. I can’t pass up the chance to talk them up. It’s my goal for them to keep making the games and improving the technology for as long as possible. It is my goal to pass my days in the old folks’ home playing virtual reality Nancy Drew. I have wanted to be more like her since second grade 🙂