Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

That opening credits theme and use of books, then later a maze, is most effective in introducing this series of updated adaptations of Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew books. Nancy Drew having been filmed before in the late 1930's with Bonita Granville in a series of four films. Parker Stevenson, Shaun Cassidy, and Pamela Sue Martin were good choices for the title characters. The first season was quite good, especially Nancy Drew: 'The Mystery Of Pirate's Cove' was best.Second season was where things went wrong, especially for poor Nancy! First, the creators decided to team them up in a pair of silly episodes; when Pamela Sue Martin abruptly quit the series as a result, since she was credited as "guest star" on a series as much hers as theirs!(Wow!) She was then recast(!) with another actress, who tried, and was pretty, but looked nothing like Pamela, so that became a big mistake...Not to mention Nancy's friend George was recast, and not only was her other friend Ned recast, he was reintroduced as if he never existed before! (Huh?) I hate it when producers think we viewers are dummies with no memories! Third season dropped Nancy altogether, and didn't last long. Whole series is on DVD, and is worth watching for the first year, and nostalgic reasons.

My memories of this show when it was on in the late 70's is vague. LOVED Shaun Cassidy back in the day. Not my type anymore though. Too pretty boy. But as a show it is fun. More of a Saturday morning view of detective work than say even Charlie's Angels but it is fun.Shaun & Parker (who has not aged a bit I must say as seen recently at school events with his children) had great chemistry. Though Frank sometimes comes off as a know it all and Joe comes off a bumbling idiot. Through it all it's campy fun. The pilot episode for the boys has Parker riding a motorcycle in his boxers. Cheeky fun!! Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew was nice. I really liked her stories. But reading that the producers backed off from Nancy stories as the boys proved more popular- she had an uphill battle. Shaun was THE teen idol of the day. Hit records and this show- no one could have equaled that level of popularity. The girls were more interested in Shaun & Parker. Duh!! In all honesty the shows and the supporting characters were one note performances. 99% of all of the cops/sheriffs were beyond stupid. It was the 70's after all and they never set out to make a serious drama/action show. This was not "The Streets of San Francisco" ya know. But if you were once fans of either show or the actors- check it out. It's lighthearted, campy fun for the most part.

When I was eleven or twelve, I fell madly in love with The Hardy Boys! I was an avid fan of the television series starring Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy. Recently, I have been able to enjoy the series again on American video.The series was based on the 'Hardy Boys' books by Franklin W. Dixon, although was largely updated for the 1970s. Frank and Joe Hardy were the eighteen- and seventeen-year-old sons of Detective Fenton Hardy (Edmund Gilbert). They lived in the fictional coastal town of Bayport in Massachusetts. Although both their parents featured in the books, in the t.v. series they had no mother and were cared for by their stern but loving Aunt Gertrude (Edith Atwater), their father's sister. In the first season of the series, the boys were still at school and most of the action took place in Bayport.(Also, their hair was shortest in this series and suited them best!) In the second season, the mysteries took them to more exotic locations such as Hong Kong, Acapulco and Africa. By the third series, the boys were in their early twenties and working for the F.B.I. They were joined on some mysteries by girl detective Nancy Drew (almost certainly the future Mrs. Frank Hardy), played first by Pamela Sue Martin, then by Janet Louise Johnson (whom I preferred). The casting of Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy as Frank and Joe was near-perfect as they complemented each other handsomely (pun certainly intended!) Parker Stevenson as blue-eyed Frank was very much the leader, taking the initiative and making the decisions most of the time. He tended to be headstrong but was more reserved emotionally than his younger brother. Shaun Cassidy played Joe as tending to be in his elder brother's shadow and adopting a rather cynical view of matters. Although Joe generally conceded to Frank, he was more than capable of taking initiative and working independently (one example being his selfless rescue of a little girl from a fire in 'Arson and Old Lace'). He showed emotion more readily than Frank (such as in 'Dracula' when their father was seriously injured).Edmund Gilbert's role as Fenton Hardy tends to be overlooked although he was a real sweetie. He was dedicated to his work but always found time for his sons. Firm but benevolent, he admonished Frank and Joe when necessary but was equally ready to console them. The Hardy men made a very close family unit and I think this is what I liked most about the series. Most of the adventures featured Frank and Joe becoming involved in one of their father's cases. The Hardys were intensely loyal and were always there for each other. This was perhaps best shown by their mutual devastation and subsequent joy in the episode 'Sole Survivor' from the second season. (It made me cry. Watch it to find out what happened!)After 'The Hardy Boys', Edmund Gilbert tended to be heard rather than seen in his acting career. During the 1980s and 1990s, he voiced dozens of films and t.v. programmes. He died from lung cancer in May 1999 aged sixty-seven. Parker Stevenson has continued to appear in films and t.v. series, including as Craig Pomeroy in 'Baywatch'. He was married to Kirstie Alley and they had two children. Shaun Cassidy acted and sang for a while before turning to producing and writing. He has married three times and has four children.Although it looks rather dated now, 'The Hardy Boys' is still a most enjoyable adventure series to watch. The plots were well thought out, combining action, mystery, emotion, a little romance, good supporting roles and, often, twists at the end. And - Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy had such lovely smiles and were just so CUTE!

I remember seeing this on TV in the early 90`s. This is a great show. In the beginning they where just hobby detectives, but in the last season they worked full time as detectives. I love the stories, the clothes and hair, and most of all the title theme. This show should be made into a complete dvd collection! One of the best shows of the 70`s! I give this 9 out of 10!