The young P.I. with the nerves of steel, better known as Nacny Drew, opened on Friday. Hopefully, you weren't drug to see it, or for that matter, will never have to see it. I summarize many film critics when I say, "it sucked."

They resist treating the Carolyn Keene books as sacred texts. Instead, they have fun with Nancy — often at her expense, but always lovingly — and with her fans. And, despite a few dead-ends, it all works reasonably well.

The filmmakers could have stranded the prim Nancy in the past. Or they could have fully modernized her. Instead, they made the inspired decision to suspend her between both worlds and mine the situation for gentle jokes. (When she enters the cafeteria at Hollywood High, the sea of Lindsays and Parises is aghast: Plaid skirts? Penny loafers? "OMG!" one girl texts another who is sitting 2 feet away, across the table. "I'm sitting next to Martha Stewart!")

Unfortunately, there is little inspiration in the frequently flat plot. Like the "Scooby-Doo" movies of a few years ago, which also thrust lovingly sketched characters into poorly imagined situations, "Nancy Drew" quickly evolves into the Mystery of the Missing Screenwriters.

On paper, it all sounds promising: Nancy travels to Hollywood and, against the urging of her father, takes up the unsolved murder of a beautiful but mysterious movie star. There's a creaky old mansion. There are secret passages. There is Nancy's gadget-filled "sleuthing kit." But there's not a whole lot else.

There are times when the film attempts to strike an emotional chord, especially near the end as Nancy works to reunite a mother and child. But that ends up being a case of too little too late.

The saving graces of "Nancy Drew" are the performances of the young actors, particularly Roberts. She does a delightful job of dialing up the young sleuth, delivering just the right mixture of brassiness and brains, innocence and intrepidity.

As Nancy navigates her way through the societal minefield of high school — unapologetically obsessive-compulsive, resplendent in her cardigan sweaters — one gets the impression that Roberts absolutely gets it. Her Nancy knows who she is and, more important, she likes who she is, and that is a fantastic and refreshing message for young girls. In Roberts' hands, Nancy Drew is every bit as relevant and every bit the role model today as she was 77 years ago.

Young actor Josh Flitter also stands out as Nancy's hilariously smitten West Coast sleuthing partner, Corky. But a 12-year-old comic, even with Flitter's talent and cherubic mischievousness, can do only so much with lackluster material.

From "The Secret of the Old Clock" (Nancy Drew Mystery Story No. 1) to "The Mardi Gras Mystery" (No. 81) to "Danger on the Great Lakes" (No. 173), Nancy Drew fans have proven that they're a bright and observant bunch. But the makers of the "Nancy Drew" film seem to have forgotten that, and they don't give the legions of sassy young Drew-inspired detectives nearly enough credit. They deserve more — more complex plots, more emotional depth.

And they'll likely get it. A sequel is reportedly early in development, and judging by the enthusiastic audience reaction at a local preview screening Monday night, "Nancy Drew" will put enough money in the pockets of Warner Bros. to warrant at least one more outing.