One thing that makes Nancy Drew okay is production design.
This movie has a very cool retro/contemporary look and feel that allows the filmmakers to play with a variety of "older" styles when it comes to Nancy (Emma Roberts) and the rest of the River Heights crowd without making them appear jarringly out of place in today's L.A. Emphasizing classic Hollywood locations and placing Nancy and dad, Carson Drew (Tate Donovan), in a former starlet's house is one way that the production design is made to work. It attaches Nancy to the old studio system, and, truthfully, her fashion sense seems to end at the early 60s just as that system was breaking down. My favorite touch, though, is giving Nancy an older generation iPod and iBook. Never adverse to gadgets, Nancy certainly has an iPod and a Mac, but she sticks to the "classics." That this film is as charming as it is has much to do with the work done by production designer Tony Fanning, art director Todd Chemiawsky, and costume designer Jeffrey Kurland.