In Veronica Mars Kristen Bell returns as the titular character after a 7 year absence. Is this mystery worth solving or should it remain buried in the case files?
Reviewing Veronica Mars without referring back to the TV show and its three season history is arguably impossible. Being funded via Kickstarter by fans of the show means that this film wasn’t really made for the casual movie goer so does it deserve to be treated as such? This was made by fans-for fans so should it be held only on the merits as a passionate love letter to those that made the film possible? As a fan of the show I personally find that an impossible question to answer and can only relate my experience as a fan.
At the beginning of the film, sassy teen detective Veronica Mars is all grown up and ready to start her career in New York as a lawyer before a call from her ex-boyfriend Logan (Jason Dohring) drags her back to her roots in the fictional town of Neptune. This comes with the caveat of her revisiting a life that she thought she had left behind. Back in Neptune, she has to look into the murder of someone she knew back in high school and consequently clear Logan of the murder charges he’s about to be brought up on.
Naturally returning home stirs up a lot of memories for Veronica as she encounters people from her past that she hasn’t seen in years and would rather not see for many more years. It isn’t all bad though as she gets to reconnect with old friends Wallace (Percy Daggs III) and Mac (Tina Majorino) as well as her father Keith (Enrico Colantoni).
Every member of the cast slips right back into their characters as if no time has passed and the interactions are as witty as ever. Kristen Bell particularly shows her adoration for the character by completely recapturing the magic that could so easily have been lost in the intervening years.
The mystery plot is clever enough with the appropriate number of twists and turns. It does feel like it is resolved too quickly but given that such a large mystery would normally develop over the course of a 20+ episode season, it’s remarkable that Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero managed to craft something this involved and fit it into the modest 107 minute runtime.
Much of the film is devoted to Veronica reconnecting with pretty much all living members of the supporting cast from the series (people died in Veronica Mars a lot) as she attends her high school reunion. Almost every ancillary character has a moment or two throughout the narrative with some characters like Gia (Breaking Bad and Don’t trust the B— in Apartment 23’s Krysten Ritter) having more screentime than others. Chances are if you liked a character in the series that didn’t die then you’ll find at least a small cameo here and every appearance ties into the main plot so kudos here.
All in all the film is a refreshing return to some old friends who haven’t been seen for a while, with a strong story and well realised characters. If you were never a fan of the series then I wouldn’t recommend starting here as this plays very much like an epilogue to the show. This love letter to the show’s ample fandom hits all the right notes to please loyal viewers while still delivering an engaging mystery. The ending doesn’t rule out the possibility of more adventures so there could be more coming if there’s a demand for it. In this reviewer’s opinion, give me more Veronica Mars.
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