Veronica Mars

WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
Click here to show this review. So the “Veronica Mars” movie actually happened. 91,585 donors raised over $5.7 million dollars and you can now see it in theatres. For the fans, that’s terrific but what if you are new to the game and you’ve never seen any episodes of the show? Is it worth making the trip to the movie theatre? Having just seen the movie, let me tell you that not only is this satisfying for fans of the series, but it is also an entertaining film to watch even if you have not seen a single episode. It’s a well crafted comedy-drama mystery thriller that isn’t just for fans of the show. Having never seen any episodes, I was really pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to follow. Like any well-crafted film adaptation of a TV series, it is accessible not only to the die-hard fans of the show, but also to new audiences thanks to a really clever setup. The film is set after a significant amount of time which kinda-sorta coincides with the 10-year high school reunion of Neptune High School. It’s been a long time since many of the characters have seen Veronica (since she is living in New York when the film begins) so it’s only logical that the characters have to re-introduce themselves and ask each other what’s new. From a film standpoint, it’s exposition to refresh the minds of the fans and the newcomers, but it’s woven into the film so organically that you will never be taken out of the story. On top of that, we also get a quick introduction to Veronica at the beginning of the film, an equivalent to an opening intro to the show to fill in any gaps about who is who. Project head Rob Thomas really did a great job and I tip my hat to his successful efforts to make the story accessible. There’s more to rejoice with this film than a long-cancelled series coming back to life though, this is a great detective story filled with interesting characters. The writing is sharp, with natural dialogue between intelligent people throwing jabs at each other and cracking jokes constantly. The central plot of the story may be a murder, but there’s a lot of humour here and the smart dialogue makes the characters interesting to follow and convincing as real people. In Veronica’s case, you really believe that she’s not only an accomplished detective, but a woman capable of making it through law school on her own. There are some elements of romance in the story, but she is never a damsel in distress that needs a big strong man to come in and save her, she’s a competent, strong female character. What I found fascinating about the film was how difficult it was to pin who was a genuine suspect, who was just a recurring character from the show and who was just a red herring. The characters are talking to each other after such a long period of time that everyone has to get at least a couple of phrases in to explain to each other who they are. Old rivalries and romances re-surface but as an audience member, your brain isn’t as trained as Veronica’s so you don’t know where to look for clues in these people’s dialogue and actions so you’re really taken for a loop. There’s just too many characters being introduced, and that works at throwing you off as well as introducing you to a world that feels totally genuine. I really don’t mean that there are too many characters in a bad way; I mean it as a good thing because as I said before, the dialogue is well written so you are interested by the character dynamics alone. There’s something compelling about a 10-year reunion where the outcast comes back to town ready to confront old rivals and the mystery, while central to the plot feels like a cherry on top of the sundae. It’s a gripping mystery with some solid subplots added in to weave it all together. You’ve got Veronica trying to escape her past by getting into a law firm and moving on from the junior detective thing, her connecting back with old friends and realizing that maybe she didn’t want to leave them behind after all, a plot with her and her father at odds over Veronica being part of the investigation, the meeting with the old flame and on top of all that, the crooked police department who is not only wholly uninterested in getting to the truth, but is actually an antagonist in the film. There’s a nice mix of humor and mystery, with some pretty startling surprises that come in and make you jump when the characters are in peril. With the end credits, the film clocks in at nearly 2 hours but you will not feel the running time at all. I found the movie had me totally entranced and when it was over, it made me upset that I wouldn’t be seeing anymore. Thankfully, that isn’t really the case because there are three seasons of “prequels” out there, ready to be watched. To tell you the truth though I’m really crossing my fingers and hoping to see a sequel or two. The film will totally win the series some new fans, but it does contain some spoilers about the three seasons that have aired already so if you absolutely do not want to hear about them, don’t pay too much attention when characters mention past events. For the old fans, there are plenty of inside jokes, but it never feels like new viewers are alienated, not for more than a few seconds here and there anyway and even if you’re new in town, you’ll be able to read between the lines anyways so it’s not a big deal. It’s not just a gimmicky movie about the little engine that could bring a beloved series back from the dead, it’s a genuinely thrilling story that features a competent, intelligent female protagonist and a movie that stands firmly on its own or as a companion piece to a beloved TV series. Kristen Bell is very comfortable and gives a strong performance in a role she’s no doubt very passionate about. My only negative comments are that there were a few moments where some of the secondary characters felt more like TV actors (which I guess is appropriate, but a bit disappointing) There are a few tiny parts here and there where the clues to resolve the mystery came off as a bit too easy to discover. That said, I toyed with the idea of not even mentioning the few conveniences I did notice because they were so well integrated into the plot. It isn’t like answers to questions just fall out of nowhere, it’s more like we’ve got a clever detective that is a bit rusty, but quickly starts putting the pieces together once she gets back into the swing of things. As a standalone movie, I’m enthusiastically giving it a 4/5 and I strongly suspect that my rating will go up in the future because I’m looking forward to seeing this one again... after I check out the series. As of the ending credits of this movie (which you want to stick around for by the way because of a great cameo gag) you can consider me a fan. (Theatrical version on the big screen, March 18, 2014)