On the surface, the “Veronica Mars” film doesn’t look like anything special. There have been many films based off of television series, such as “The Addams Family” or “Miami Vice.” But deep down, it is historic. Not only was this made exclusively for fans, but it was made by them. When the show’s creator Rob Thomas listed the project on Kickstarter, it reached 2 million dollars in 12 hours and then another 3 million dollars shortly after, breaking a few records on the way.
A decade ago, “Veronica Mars” wasn’t getting much news coverage or publicity in the media. In fact, it struggled to make 3 million viewers and was finally cancelled in 2007. However, it was hard to tell why people didn’t appreciate this show. With its juicy love triangles and snarky dialogue, it made for a unique Nancy Drew-esque show. Kristen Bell played the sarcastic Veronica Mars, who becomes a pariah after her best friend got murdered. While she was trying to solve the mystery, she helped out with her father’s private investigation business in her hometown, Neptune, California, also the home of the richest of the rich. Even though it got cancelled, the fans still were dedicated to the quirky cult classic, and they are the reason it was brought back.
The film starts off ten years later from where the series ended. Instead of being a spunky teenager, Veronica is now a prestigious law school graduate applying for a prestigious New York firm. When she hears that her ex-boyfriend, Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) is being framed for the murder of his girlfriend, she packs her bags and heads back to her “beloved” hometown to help solve the mystery and also happens to come just in time for her ten year high school reunion.
It’s obvious that Thomas constructed every scene with his fans in mind. With the appearance of friends like Wallace, Mac, and Eli (Percy Daggs III, Francis Capra, Tina Majorino), he fed on the fans’ curiosity about what their favorite characters have been up to for all these years. Has Weevil quit the motorcycle gang? Is Mac a computer hacker now? But with all the good guys swarming the screen, there also has to be the reappearance of old foes, like Neptune High’s queen bee Gia Goodman (Krysten Ritter), and also new emerging ones. Also, the sexual tension between Logan and Veronica is off the charts, most likely to tease the fans of the couple because of her pairing up with Piz (Chris Lowell) at end of the series. But the most memorable scenes are the classic father-daughter scenes between Veronica and Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni). Just like in the series, they are as sentimental as ever, with Keith just wanting Veronica to have a good life and not let Neptune drag her down.
The film felt like a very long episode, but that didn’t matter at all. It still had all the quirks of the of the series like it had never been cancelled at all. The snappy dialogue between Veronica and Logan will not only make the fans gush but also make a great introduction into what the show is like for the new fans. While fans will reminisce and cheer to see their favorite characters again, new audiences won’t be lost at all. In fact, Thomas makes a colorful montage, highlighting the key moments of the past three seasons as a sort of introduction to the series.
Overall, “Veronica Mars” was created so that not only old fans will rejoice in the return of the short lived crime show but so that new viewers will also become part of the fan base. As of now, no sequel has been announced, but I would hardly be surprised if Thomas suddenly popped up on Kickstarter again. Even without having prior knowledge of the characters or previous love triangles, it’s a fun murder mystery to keep up with. I’m only twelve episodes into the series, but even I found myself squealing along with the fan girls whenever Logan and Veronica had a scene together. Just don’t be shocked to hear cheering and whooping whenever a character comes onto the screen.
4.5/5
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Veronica Mars is now playing in theaters.
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