The much-anticipated Veronica Mars movie opened in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles this weekend, less than a year after the creators behind the cult-favorite TV show closed out a wildly successful, crowd-funded record-smashing Kickstarter campaign. The campaign amassed nearly $5.5 million, changed how celebrities handle crowd-funding (for better or for worse), pulled teen detective Veronica from the depths of "canceled-too-soon" territory and stuck her on the big screen. So did it work?
Well, if you're a fan, yes. Sort of. The 107-minute film, directed and co-written by show creator Rob Thomas, gets the gang back together—just in time for her 10-year high school reunion, Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell), now a recent law grad about to start a gig as a high-powered New York lawyer, flies out to her home town of Neptune, Calif. to help ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) beat a murder rap. You know, like old times. All the usual suspects are kicking it in town, like Veronica's private eye dad Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni), her BFF Wallace (Percy Dags III), computer-whiz Mac (Tina Majorino), reformed motorcycle gang head Weevil (Frank Capra) and surfer dude Dick Casablancas (an always welcome Ryan Hansen). There are also some newcomers, with appearances by Jerry O'Connell, Martin Starr, the now seemingly omnipresent Gaby Hoffman and James Franco, who plays a very James Franco version of James Franco.
It's fun to see Veronica hunting down clues, sparring with local law enforcement and illegally pulling school records to rule out suspects, just like old times. I was a big fan of the show during its initial run in the mid-2000s, and though the film incarnation doesn't have the same snappy freshness, banter and brooding Logan as the original series, fans will appreciate some of the surprise Easter eggs lying around. That being said, there's no question that this movie isn't much more than a slightly-stretched out reunion special, and if you aren't familiar with the show, the silver screen version likely can't stand alone. An extra season binge-ready on Netflix would have sufficed just the same.
One of the Kickstarter campaign rewards is a digital download of the film, and if you donated and selected that reward, USE IT—even diehard Marshmallows will be satisfied enough seeing Veronica back on a screen, if not the big screen, and you'll save $14 in the process. Plus, if you watch it at home, there's a fun drinking game you can play involving taking a shot anytime someone name-drops Budweiser or Samsung. Veronica can outsmart crime, but she can't beat product placement.
