Review of Veronica Mars (2014) by Mike S — 15 Mar 2014

Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did it live up to expectations? No.

But that's not to say I'm disappointed, it's more that I'm not fully satisfied. It's a bit like eating a meal that you worked really hard on and then it was okay, but not quite worth the effort. This film is fine, except it wasn't worth the anticipation and wait.

The problem is, and was always going to be, the fact that Veronica Mars was an awesome TV show... 42 minute episodes which where cute and clever. However, a clever and cute tied up plot feels good over 42 minutes, but feels very flat over 108 minutes.

The film sparkles during its fan service. When Veronica encounters characters from the show, it's feisty and reminds us why we loved the show. However, this doesn't really happen until 30 minutes in, and up to until that point, we've sat through Veronica and Logan wander through what happened to set the plot in motion.

The plot suggests it will be deeper that the usual TV show plots, with corruption in the police force threatening to be very ugly. But it never really delivers in this area.

The Logan-Veronica relationship is actually quite bland, as there is no chemistry between the two (unlike in the show) as Jason Dohring seems to be lacking energy in this one.

Sadly, the thing that I was most disappointed with was Enrico Colantoni. Keith Mars was always my favourite character, but in this he comes across as bitter and angry and lacks the fun that he had during the show. This could be a result of what happened to the character at the end of season 3, but its a shame he couldn't lift the material more.

There are many good points though. Vinnie's small scene is classic, as is anything involving Dick. Wallace and Mac are great, although underused. The dialogue is pretty snappy, and Kristen Bell slips beautifully into the role of Veronica. They even reference the infamous 'Series 4' trailer that this film managed to kill off in terms of continuity.

Almost no single cast member was left out in some form, but in some ways, it would have been better to cut some of the characters down and include more from others.

Overall, I hope this film sets the wheels in motion for the series to come back. It cries out to be 42 minutes again, and there is clearly an audience for the show. But even if it doesn't, this does leave you feeling better than at the end of season 3.