Review of Veronica Mars (2014) by Bill H — 06 Jun 2014

More of an extended episode? An entire season condensed into a 100-minute running time? Better yet, has my research on this cult television show paid off well? Arguably, a resounding "yes" can be answered to all questions.

When watching all three seasons of Veronica Mars, indeed I was gripped but at the same time I've contemplated whether I can actually call myself a fan of the TV show. Just because I played catch-up on an otherwise unknown television series these in the months of February and March doesn't equate me as a dedicated "marshmallow." Those folks were with the show from 2004-2007 whereas ol' Mutton Man just hopped on the bandwagon recently because he got curious and wanted to conduct "research." But I suppose it takes a lot of commitment to put aside just about all of my other plans so I can see what all the hoopla is about with Veronica Mars and pen a review only 2 people read.

Veronica Mars, the TV show, is a product of its time but I like that it's situated in the "in-betweeny" period, the great transition happening on a global scale and even in my own moment. Young adults growing up and going through some tough shit in their lives, minds are still developing, and they're still fixated on the usual high school shenanigans and transitions to college. The stories and plot may not be true to life--a teenage private eye snooping around--but the spirit and youthful atmosphere resonated very strong. Turmoil, love, confusion, peer pressure, jackassery (not a word, I know), fun times, good times, bad times, making mistakes, getting back on your feet... all this during the most confusing and most wild, tumultuous teenage years of rabid development, rarely captured perfectly through a visual medium. While that implies the show as being a teeny dramatic soap opera, it's far from that. It's cool, it's funny, it's sharp, and dammit it's a lot of fun to watch even though at times it gets into darker territory. It has a very strong noir feel to it and it reminded me a bit of that little-seen movie Brick (2006), starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt where he and high schoolers talk like a bunch of 1940s tough guys and dames. Veronica Mars the show wasn't an extreme throwback like Brick was but an update of that genre.

The show is wildly over the top in its presentation and features an ensemble of rich youngsters, but it's the show's youthful joy that won me over, along with compelling mysteries that actually add more development to the characters, their plights, and the stories; some mysteries even encompass an entire season. It was dramatic but in addition to its noir feel it also had some B-movie flair as it incorporated some pretty heavy topics like rape, murder, and incest (to name a few). But even some of those noir movies had that, like Chinatown. These very topics tore families, relationships, and communities apart. Quite amazing how well the show pulls all this off without being exploitative nor preachy, instead interweaving these plot points into the storyline and carry them throughout. It's not just some weekly escapade or means of padding out the season; everything mattered, so one couldn't randomly start at any episode because the true benefit is starting from the beginning.

How Veronica Mars went under my radar for so long is a mystery but like the cat I grew curious and decided to see what all the hub-bub was about. I was only curious because of the movie and how it came to fruition nearly seven years after the final episode aired. My expectations were exceeded. Fans loved it (famous fans include Kevin Smith and Joss Whedon) and I can see why, for all the reasons listed and then some, and so the movie was almost entirely funded by fans courtesy of the kickstarter campaign. Yes, this is a movie for the fans but maybe some might still enjoy it without having seen any episode of Veronica Mars.

The movie may be just another quick whodunnit as Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) is now ready to take on the big leagues in the Big Apple, far away from the sunny beaches of Neptune, California. Suddenly, her previous life comes calling back in the form of an ex-flame: the lovable hot-headed hunky douche Logan (Jason Dohring). Additionally, her high school is devising a high school reunion yet Veronica is happy with having left that old life and teenage profession behind her. She's shacked up with her current boyfriend Piz (Chris Lowell) in the Big Apple. But Logan needs help, claiming that he's being framed for a murder he didn't commit. Veronica, like the Bat-man, decides to don the cowl one more time. Old habits kicked in. Nostalgia. Eventually to be torn between two men. Becoming torn between the past and future.

Man, if I had seen this show back in its fresh heyday I would've been all giddy yet I still was. It was like first watching The Dark Knight Rises and seeing the Bat-man return after a four year hiatus (eight years in the Nolan universe) and that cop was like, "Boy, are you in for a show tonight, son." Really fucking cool seeing that. The giddiness was seeing Veronica rummage through an old foot locker containing all her somewhat dated PI equipment. Yeah, I'm comparing Veronica Mars to the Bat-man, but I like that Miss Mars herself makes a few Batman references. Did I mention how cool she is? Because she is. And the characters are cool. The show itself was cool.

A lot of familiar faces return, some with remarkable transformations and growth since their teen/college years. They may look conservative but they still retain their trademark characteristics. Dick Casablancas, Weevil, Mac, Wallace, Keith Mars (Veronica's dad), and some other cameos, make worthwhile and lasting appearances. Not a single one felt shoehorned in just for the sake of making a quick reunion movie, they continue to add more to the central plot elements and larger theme that brings it all around that leaves room for plenty of development (and I sure do hope we get sequels). The brilliance of the TV show was how thematically linked everything was, from characters, to the town of Neptune, to even the mystery (or several mysteries), and amazingly the movie still captured this essence while still pumped full of wit, smarts, and snark. Likewise, the relationships between each character remains. The banter between Veronica and her dad, the tension between them and the local police, that well-known feud between Veronica and Madison Sinclair, and on and on. The chemistry and dialogue are as strong as they've ever been.

The way the film ended that was in some ways enlightening but very powerful. Quite frankly, it says something universal about all of us. That's just me looking hard into things but it stayed with me once the credits rolled and I just sat there in the theater contemplating. Puts things into perspective, especially for someone in my position. It has that eerie autobiographical nature to it. Guess that happens when you watch movies taking place during the characters' ten year high school reunions.

Fans, or "marshmallows," will get more out of the movie which is why I highly recommend the television series as a prerequisite. Both the show and movie provide quite an adventure with these characters, to see how they grow, then to see in the movie what loose ends have been tied as well as what new ones are gonna emerge. The show is the best three seasons of your life and will make the movie that much more invigorating. As a standalone movie, you might still get your money's worth. Murder mystery in a town gone to hell which'll make you think, "Yeah, Veronica's right to leave behind this stink hole," something we can all relate to when it comes to our respective home towns. It might be a tame noir/mystery, maybe even has a few cliches, but seriously how many noir/mystery films do we get these days? Though it comes from a TV show about a teenage private investigator, don't let that throw you off. Even Veronica acknowledged this in the opening lines ("A teenaged private eye. Trust me. I know how dumb that sounds"). The show and movie are smart, funny, thrilling, insightful and dramatic, and surprisingly heavy and dark in terms of theme and story. And if you know what the characters have gone through, yeah, there's a lot to adore in the Veronica Mars universe.

In sum, I loved this movie. Teenage angst has paid off well, now I'm bored and old. But seriously, Veronica Mars is one of the few movies this year I whole-heartedly enjoyed without being mixed or condescending. There's been a lot of great flicks about ten year high school reunions like Grosse Pointe Blank and the recent American Reunion (about the folks from the American Pie series), and Veronica Mars ranks among the best. As a young adult noir/mystery, it's just as brilliant though a bit rushed but we didn't get a season here so I can't complain too much. And for God's sakes, go watch the TV show while you're at it, too.