It was a movie for the fans, by the fans and it did not fail to disappoint the fans — “Veronica Mars” brought it all to the big screen last Friday.
To anyone else, the movie was just a mystery with a wisecracking P.I. at the helm, but to the fans it felt like the proper finish to a show that ended too soon.
When the CW canceled the critically acclaimed “Veronica Mars” TV show after three seasons in 2007 due to poor ratings, it developed a cult following. That following prompted the return of the show in the form of a movie, thanks to a Kickstarter campaign that garnered roughly $5.7 million last year.
Without a doubt, the movie catered to its backers. “Veronica Mars” was rife with old jokes from the show and countless appearances from old guest stars. Some who had donated also received the movie the day it hit theaters via digital download.
The story begins nine years after the rather grim ending of the series with Veronica, portrayed by Kristen Bell, about to accept a job at a major law firm in New York and ready to meet the parents of her perfect boyfriend.
But a call from her ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls, played by Jason Dohring, draws Veronica back home to Neptune, California, the place where she had helped her P.I. dad solve a number of cases and made herself quite infamous.
Logan, the famous son of a movie star, is the prime suspect in the murder of his pop star girlfriend, and while Veronica only intends to help him pick out a lawyer, she’s soon drawn into the intrigue of the case.
Her murder investigation also happens to coincide with her high school’s 10-year anniversary, an excellent excuse to see a lot of familiar faces from the show.
The movie includes a cameo of actor James Franco as himself and a short scene of actor Dax Sheperd — Bell’s real-life husband — as a man at a club.
The movie has rather dark themes, likening Veronica’s love for seedy mysteries and feelings for Logan to an addiction.
The class warfare element, one of the show’s central issues, also had major consequences, because the town of Neptune may be home to the rich and famous, but it’s also home to everyone who works for them. There’s also massive corruption in the sheriff’s department.
But these more serious aspects didn’t stop viewers from laughing almost the entire movie. It’s hard not to appreciate the witty retorts, one-line zingers and perfect sarcasm that all the characters, and especially Veronica, excel at.
Some of the more memorable moments included Veronica deflecting the interest of a hedge fund manager at a bar by telling him her boyfriend is a hitman and then asking him for his card since her boyfriend is looking to invest.
Another was after someone leaked a sex tape online of Logan and his pop star girlfriend that only showed their legs. When Veronica asked Logan if they had made the video themselves, Logan responds sarcastically, “Oh, that’s right. We were shooting some of our usual leg erotica.”
Critics enjoyed the film — “Veronica Mars” garnered a 75 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes — but the chances of Warner Brothers backing more films will depend on how much money the movie brings in. The film earned $2 million its opening weekend, according to TV.com, a sum that may not be enough to warrant sequels.
But if this is the last anyone sees of Veronica Mars, that won’t be a bad thing. The movie wrapped up all the loose ends the TV show left dangling, and while there is potential for more films, everything seemed right by the time the credits rolled, or as right as it ever gets in Neptune, California.
