- When Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) concluded her film's expository opening narration by noting that "People say I'm a marshmallow," I momentarily wondered who the intended audience for this film really was. After all, Veronica had just spent two minutes outlining her entire life, suggesting that viewers wouldn't already know the essential details. But then there's that remark about marshmallows, as Veronica Mars enthusiasts proudly call themselves (or rather, ourselves), hinting that this was going to be an exercise in fan service. And then there's the fact that the movie was funded by Kickstarter, which implies a certain level of audience buy-in. You know what? I'm overthinking this. I should just sit back and enjoy the fact that a show I liked landed a movie. Hey, that street musician is singing The Dandy Warhols!
- And Veronica Mars isn't such a bad movie, at that. All the major players are back, including the volatile Logan (Jason Dohring), reliable friends Wallace (Percy Daggs III) and Mac (Tina Majorino), detective and loving father Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni), and a grown man who still goes by the nickname "Piz" (Chris Lowell). It appears that Weevil (Francis Capra) has been demoted to a supporting character, where he joins Gia (Krysten Ritter), Dick (Ryan Hansen), Vinnie (Ken Marino), Leo (Max Greenfield), Cliff (Daran Norris), and, holy crap, I can't believe they dug up so many old cast members! Deputy Sacks (Brandon Hillock)! Principal Clemmons (Duane Daniels)! Madison Sinclair (Amanda Noret)! Celeste Kane (Lisa Thornhill)! Those guys Sean (Kevin Sheridan) and Luke (Sam Huntington)! The movie even adds a few new cast members (Gaby Hoffmann, Jery O'Connell, Martin Starr, Jamie Lee Curtis, James Franco) and, hey, was that really Corny (Jonathan Chesner)??
- If my description recalls the experience of attending a class reunion, that's no coincidence. Director/producer/co-writer Rob Thomas and co-writer Diane Ruggiero wisely justify this whole-cast homecoming with a literal Neptune High reunion, which goes about as smoothly as anything else in the town has ever gone. True to form, Madison finds a way to be mean to Veronica, Logan finds an excuse to start punching people, and Piz gets beaten up. This doesn't have too much to do with the movie's central mystery, which revolves around the murder of Logan's ex-girlfriend (Andrea Estella), but honestly that is probably for the best. It feels like the writers compressed about half a TV season of plotlines into a feature-length film, so the proceedings are often a bit rushed. Thankfully, the film also manages to sneak in some quality "daddy-daughter time" and a few inspired moments of comedy, mostly having to do with Vinnie's new career or never being "more than 2 degrees from James Franco."
- If you were hoping to see the results of all the fascinating character growth that must have occurred over the past decade, then Veronica Mars is probably not the movie for you. The film literally has Wallace steal a student record and Mac provide computer support, so we're very much playing by the rules of Season 1. Veronica still ditches "the one without the baggage and the drama" to get together with the badboy, and even the dramatically reformed Weevil inexplicably ends up at the head of a motorcycle gang by the film's end. And, before you ask, Dick Casablancas is still very much a dick. That said, if you are simply looking to revisit a show that, a long time ago, you used to be friends with, but that you hadn't thought of lately at all, then you could do a lot worse than Veronica Mars. I guess I'm an addict, too.
