Veronica Mars (2014)

Directed by Rob Thomas

Veronica Mars is one of my favorite TV series ever. Far too good for the fledgling UPN/CW network when it debuted ten years ago, it survived only three seasons, but in that time it built a small but devoted fan following. By all accounts the cast and crew were as devoted to it as the creator and the fans, which is reflected in the fact that most of them returned for this long-awaited follow-up motion picture which became a phenomenon in itself by breaking several records on the crowd-funding website Kickstarter last year, in rapid succession attaining its first $1-million in the shortest time, surpassing its initial goal of $2-million in a mere ten hours, continuing on to receive the most backers of any Kickstarter campaign ever, to eventually end as the largest single Kickstarter film-project ever with almost $6-million. All without me knowing anything about it until it was over and done with.... I doubtless would have thrown in something. Alas, all I can do now is thank all those who were on the ball and so generous with their support, and enjoy the fruits of their efforts.  And I could do so much sooner than I expected, because Veronica Mars achieved another "first" when Warner Brothers decided to release it simultaneously in theatres and home video.  I actually purchased and downloaded it through iTunes.

Although nine years have passed in the lives of our characters, and Veronica herself has moved on from where we saw her last, finishing law school and being on the verge of beginning a high-profile legal career in New York City, all it takes is one phone call from her ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls with the words so frequently heard in the past, “Veronica, I need your help,” to bring her back to Neptune, California and plunge her back into her old life. Pushing the time-frame two years further along than the seven years of real-time that have passed allows the plea from Logan to coincide with Neptune High's ten-year reunion – which Veronica had sworn not to attend – and conveniently bring most characters from the series into the story if only for short cameos. I'll go no further with spoilers than that, other than to say that it is nonetheless not necessary to have watched the series, which is recapped very nicely in the first couple of minutes. Although being able to revisit these characters as old friends and acquaintances doubtless does enhance the experience, the story stands very well on its own two feet. The same high quality of clever writing, atmospheric direction, and superb acting is present here, making this a very worthy continuation of the series. Again I say, my impression is that the cast and crew love this series as much as the fans do. Finally, the story ends leaving the door wide open for further adventures, which begin almost immediately in the form of a series of prose novels, the first of which becomes available in only a few days – co-written by series creator, writer, and director Rob Thomas himself and already stated by him to be canonical with the series and film. I will doubtless pick it up too.

Cheers!, and Thanks for reading!