“A long time ago we used to be friends, but I haven’t thought of you lately at all.” The theme song that began every episode of the cult-followed “Veronica Mars” television series is probably all V. Mars fans have been thinking about since the famed Kickstarter campaign began in March 2013.
“Veronica Mars” originally aired on UPN from 2004-2006 and moved to the CW network for its third and final season in 2007.
The show followed sarcastic California teen Veronica Mars as she worked answering phones for her dad’s private investigator company and solved crimes on the side, in addition to regular high school drama.
The show may not sound all that original or exciting, but I assure you, the writing was fantastic.
The show was full of witty one-liners that would cause even the most self-assured, rich, arrogant teenage douche bag to stop dead in his tracks. Kristen Bell (“When in Rome”) was perfect for the role of the tiny, pint-sized detective.
Not only did her stature match the part, but she delivered her lines flawlessly.
Ever since the show went off the air in 2007, loyal fans have been pleading with both show creator Rob Thomas (who also developed “90210” and “Party Down”) as well as Warner Brothers, the producing studio, to develop a movie.
After six years of waiting, Thomas posted a Kickstarter campaign online.
The campaign ended up generating over $5,700,000 with 91,585 individual backers – far beyond the original goal of $2,000,000. The “Veronica Mars” movie was the fund-raising website’s most successful campaign to date.
Thus, the “Veronica Mars” movie was born. Fans donated their hard-earned cash to see the film made, and now they can go see their investment in theaters.
And that investment included a lot of familiar faces. Particularly noteworthy were protagonist Veronica Mars (Bell), her on-and-off love interest Logan Echolls (Jason Dohering, “Ringer”), Veronica Mars’ father Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni, “Person of Interest”) and Stosh “Piz” Piznarski (Chris Lowell, “The Help”) – the love interest that broke up the much-adored Veronica-Logan relationship.
Though the movie lacked a strong plot, the intense action sequences and the strong relationships more than made up for the mediocre plot.
However, despite the two-minute recap that opened the movie to appeal even to audiences who had never seen the show, many of those relationships still make a lot more sense for someone who has seen the show.
As an avid watcher of the show myself, I was able to appreciate every tension filled silence between Veronica and Logan, much of which would probably be lost on those who never experienced their tumultuous love on television.
Nonetheless, the movie was still extremely enjoyable.
The film opens with our protagonist interviewing at a top-notch law firm in New York.
We quickly discover that after spending a year at the local community college, she transferred to Stanford and then moved on to Columbia Law School, graduating near the top of her class.
We also come to realize that she has been dating Piz for some time and is soon to meet his parents.
Veronica had left her years of sleuthing behind her – that is, until Logan Echolls is suspected of murder.
It just so happens that Logan’s troubles coincide with Neptune High’s 10-year High School reunion – yet another opportunity to see old, familiar faces.
Thus, Veronica flies back to her hometown in California to help her friend Logan choose a lawyer.
One event leads to the next, and before we know it Veronica has fallen back into her old habits of crime-solving and investigating.
Upon her return back to Neptune, Calif., Veronica quickly realizes that the town is even more corrupt than it was when she left it behind years ago.
As Veronica’s father points out, a “bunch of cops with swimming pools and sports cars is a dangerous thing.” Neptune is at the heart of social class disputes and discrimination, which also makes for an interesting dynamic in the movie.
Following a similar pattern as the show, Veronica takes it upon herself to exonerate her friend by solving the murder that Logan is accused of committing.
The victim, Logan’s ex-girlfriend, also happens to be a former high school classmate, which makes figuring things out that much more important because Veronica was also acquainted with her.
As Veronica continues to help Logan, she loses sight of everything else in her life – from potential job offers to her boyfriend Piz.
Now, the Veronica-Logan-Piz love triangle has been talked about since Lowell entered the show in 2007.
Some fans loved the sweet, no-drama Piz who treated Veronica like a queen.
On the other hand, others (like myself) love to see Veronica indulge in her dramatic, zealous and “epic” relationship with bad boy Logan.
I also have to point out that when Logan shows up to pick Veronica up at the airport (he bought a $49 ticket so he could meet her at the gate!), he arrives in a decorated white army uniform.
I am sorry but if you put Logan, the bad boy that we all love to love, in a uniform and have him show up at the airport, Piz does not even stand a chance.
Nonetheless, as the film progresses, so too does the love-triangle that captivates all audiences, especially those who understand the nature of the relationships.
For having such a small budget, the film really was remarkable. Veronica states during the film, “You ever hear the one about the junkie that was satisfied with just one more taste of the good stuff? Neither have I.”
She was right: fans are still addicted to the show and will likely give in, go for one more taste and see the movie.
“Veronica Mars” fans will definitely be happy and who knows, maybe there is another V. Mars movie in our future, but hopefully this time, we won’t have to wait six years for it to happen.
– By Annie McNutt
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