Sunday, May 11, 2014

Veronica Mars (2014, PG-13)

 
Though I was sure to see this movie as soon as it came out, I never got around to reviewing it.  Obviously, this is a shameful misstep that needs to be remedied; please accept this humble post in restitution.
 
Quick rundown for those who aren’t fans:  Veronica Mars was originally a show on the WB/CW about a teenage girl who worked as a private eye, and believe me – it’s so much more awesome than it sounds.  Get any Nancy Drew images out of your head right now, because Veronica is a tough, shrewd heroine who’s not afraid to bend the law and has a jaded wisecrack for every occasion.  Her series is essentially a film noir set in a SoCal high school, and it ran for three seasons starting in 2004.  Its fans are few but devoted, and the show’s cancelation was deeply felt.
 
But another day, another post.  Today’s review is of Veronica Mars the movie, the first TV-show-turned-feature-film ever funded by fans through a Kickstarter campaign (I told you they’re devoted.)  The film sees our heroine returning to her hometown – the corrupt, class-obsessed Neptune, California – during her 10-year high school reunion.  Not to attend it, mind, but to do a favor for an old flame.  Logan Echolls is rich and charismatic, but trouble sticks to him like fly-paper, and he’s just been accused of murdering his girlfriend.  Veronica has put her P.I. days behind her, but she’s recently passed the bar and agrees to give Logan a legal consultation.
 
Naturally, the siren song of investigation starts crooning the second Veronica gets home.  The circumstances of the girlfriend’s death are fishy, and it isn’t long before Veronica is flirting with her old life (and Logan) again.  It’s clear that she’s a little rusty after her time away – her usual knack for improvising her way out of sticky confrontations doesn’t serve her as well as it used to, and a grown woman can’t project above-suspicion the way a teenage girl can – but it’s equally evident that sleuthing is in her blood.  She’s drawn to Neptune with its secrets and seediness, and my fannish heart jumps with glee to see Veronica back in the game.
 
The actual mystery is a bit thin, but I can’t really complain.  Everyone takes to their old roles as if they never left.  Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring are particularly great as Veronica and Logan – the two have grown and changed in the intervening years, but in entirely believable ways, and the new dynamic is terrific.  The major players are all here, and the film is packed with cameos from recurring characters.  The dialogue is as smart and sly as always, there are plenty of genuine surprises, and despite a shoestring budget, the film never looks or feels cheap.
 
I haven’t heard whether there’s definitely going to be a second film, or another method of continuing the story, but the movie strikes a good balance with the ending.  It leaves a natural opening for more Mars, but if it’s not to be, there’s enough closure that the fans won’t need to gnash their teeth too much.  I sure hope we get some more – Veronica Mars was one of those magic shows, and seeing these characters onscreen again just feels right.
 
Warnings
 
Sexual content, some profanity, scenes of violence, and drug references.

No comments:

Post a Comment