As some of you may recall, I was an early backer of the Veronica Mars Kickstarter campaign. The campaign was hugely successful and now the end product – the movie itself – has finally come out. And it was worth every penny!
Two disclaimers up front: First, I loved the movie but am completely unable to tell if it’s enjoyable for those who weren’t already a fan of the TV show. Second, there will be some spoilers ahead so don’t read this if you haven’t seen the movie yet.
Where to begin? The cast was great. Dick is, far and away, the funniest part of the show and I’m glad he got so many great lines. Cliff the criminal defense lawyer represents us lawyers pretty well (all things considered) and I’m always happy when Ken Marino (Vinnie the sleazy PI) shows up. I almost yelled out “Schmidt” when Max Greenfield made his cameo and yes, it was funny to see Dax act as a sleaze trying to pick up his real-life wife in a nightclub. Wallace is as cute as ever but, unfortunately, underutilized once again. Mac, meanwhile, looks hot and I really wish I could rock her hairdo!
The plot was fun and believable. Veronica’s attempts to get out – and stay out – of Neptune and its toxic underbelly were convincing, even though there’s no way she would have made it a year working at a big law firm (I did it for a decade but that’s because I’m not nearly as cool as Veronica!). Keith’s frustration at watching Veronica give up her chance to get out Neptune was tangible. I bought Logan being back in trouble, although joining the Air Force seemed random, forced, and unbelievable (I clearly didn’t donate enough to get creative input on the script). And it broke my heart to see poor Piz get his heart broken.
Most importantly, the ending was satisfied. If your name isn’t Newhart, it’s so easy to goof up the ending (I’m looking at you, Lost, and even you, Seinfeld). But this movie gave me the ending that I wanted (although I didn’t realize that until I saw it). Veronica can’t leave Neptune – she’s got to keep up the fight she started in high school. And I really liked the fact that Weevil (always one of my favorite characters) had to give up living the “good” life and rejoin the gang, just to fight the corrupt police force. And yes, Logan and Veronica belong together.
My love for the show – like the love Logan and Veronica shares – is epic. The movie gave me the ending I needed and wanted and was worth every penny of my investment. Now it’s time to start looking for my next movie project!
