Get a Clue

The movie features a talented and likable cast, including Lindsay Lohan just before she lost her child-like charm. The story zips along with the help of an upbeat soundtrack, funky costumes, and Manhattan backdrops (filmed in Toronto) designed to inspire location envy. Lexy and her friends overcome minor differences to cooperate and are motivated by the words of Lexy's loving dad, who tells her that hard work, imagination, and luck can accomplish almost anything. There's a complicated embezzlement scheme that will confuse kids younger than 10.

The problem is that even as Lexy's eyes are opened to the problems she's caused and the fact that one of her friends -- gasp -- lives in Brooklyn, not Manhattan, her shallowness doesn't really diminish. Her "insane obsession with material objects," as one of her classmates describes it, instead becomes a secret weapon, helping her identify fake private detectives wearing expensive watches and a jewel discounted as a flea market find. Lexy may be well-meaning, but she's no role model for parents who want their daughters to embrace more than the latest fashion magazines.