VERONICA MARS (review)

VERONICA MARS

Gayle Buckley: You were issued a private detective license for your nineteenth birthday. Is that something California kids do?

As the theme song goes, a long time ago, we used to be friends but I haven’t thought about you lately at all. That’s right, my fellow Marshmallows, VERONICA MARS is back and, contrary to that song, we have all missed her quite dearly while she’s been away. In 2007, when the show announced its cancellation, hearts were broken as we were afraid we would never get to see the adorkable teen sleuth back on screen again. However, after years of fan outcry, we have finally gotten our wish through a groundbreaking Kickstarter campaign and the first VERONICA MARS feature may just be the perfect way to say thank you to the fans that have been loyal all this time. Clearly writer-director-original series creator, Rob Thomas and crew poured their hearts out into this project and delivered exactly what the fans have wanted all this time, recapturing the spirit of the first season and doing away with all the distracting side stories that took away from the show’s focus.

VERONICA MARS starts off with Veronica (Kristen Bell) in a law office, interviewing for a job. Where else would we expect a now grown up teen private eye to work? The story progresses, giving backstory to her character, as the firm faces difficulty given Veronica’s checkered past. It is at this point that Veronica receives a call from fictional town of Neptune’s most famous bad boy, Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring). He is in trouble and needs her help. Sound familiar, Marshmallows? Well, Logan is accused of murder (again!) and this time he is said to have killed his ex girlfriend, punk-rock singer, Bonnie Deville/Carrie Bishop (Andrea Estella). Veronica makes it abundantly clear that she has left Neptune, and its vicious cycle of mediocrity, behind, but she still returns to help Logan find a lawyer. Once there, we see that not only has the city disintegrated into deeper levels of corruption, it has also fallen victim to an even more incompetent sheriff, Dan Lamb (Jerry O’Connell), brother to the previous sheriff from the series. Is it possible for Veronica, who has been out of Neptune for nine years, to not fall back into the downward spiral she found herself in when she was last there? You’ll have to watch to find out and any Marshmallow will definitely want to find out.

Now, if you’re not a Marshmallow, which is what fans of the series affectionately refer to themselves as, but still want to see VERONICA MARS, don’t fret; the film opens with a helpful recap of everything you need to know about Veronica and friends – who she is, her relationships and all the backstory you’ll need to understand why the sheriff’s department in Neptune hates her father, Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni) so much. Not having an intimate knowledge of the show could make it difficult to understand the dynamics between all the characters and why they are so crucial to Veronica’s life but the development and progression of the story, as well as the sharp, acerbic wit of the dialogue, will certainly draw you in. You may even find yourself going back to discover Veronica’s humble beginnings afterwards. That said, it is near perfect for the diehard fans of the unfortunately short lived television show. And the best part about it is that we Marshmallows are the reason Veronica lives once again. In that sense, we have officially become her backup.

Your turn!

How many sheep would you give Veronica Mars?

[kkstarratings]