Veronica Mars

Rob Thomas and the cast of the show had wanted to translate Veronica Mars to film ever since the untimely cancellation of the show in 2007, but Warner Bros didn't see any money-making potential. And so Kristen Bell's sassy and resourceful sleuth Veronica Mars was gone, but never forgotten. Then last spring, Thomas and Bell started a campaign on Kickstarter with the hope that the show's dedicated fans would fund a film revival. They needed $2 million to make the movie; they reached their goal in 11 hours and by the time the campaign came to a close, over 90k fans had donated over $5.7 million dollars. Veronica Mars, the movie, finally got the green light. Filming began June 17, 2013, and wrapped in just 28 days with all of the show's principal cast returning as well as many secondary characters seen over the course of the show's three-season run.When we last saw Veronica, she was finishing her first year at Hearst College having solved the mysteries of the Hearst campus serial rapist and the murder of Dean O'Dell. Over the course of the season, Veronica became more and more engrossed in her investigations, isolating her and ultimately costing Veronica her relationship with Logan. In the final episodes, Veronica began dating Stosh "Piz" Piznarski as her father, Keith, became acting sheriff of Neptune after the shocking death of Sheriff Don Lamb. But due to a video of Veronica and Piz "getting to know each other, Adam and Eve style," leaked on the internet and Veronica's subsequent break-in at the Kane residence, Veronica inadvertently ruined her father's chance of being restored permanently to his position as sheriff in the special election.At the start of the film, we learn that after she ruined Keith's chances of being elected sheriff, Veronica transferred from Hearst to Stanford University and decided she would no longer work any cases because she felt being a private investigator had too high a cost and was ruining her life. Rather than following in Keith's footsteps, Veronica finished her degree in psychology at Stanford, then attended Columbia University to study law. Having just graduated from law school, resumed her relationship with Piz, Veronica is interviewing with a prestigious law firm in New York on the eve of taking the bar exam; meanwhile back in Neptune, Logan is dating pop star Bonnie Deville, previously known as Carrie Bishop (played in the show by Leighton Meester, but recast in the film), until Bonnie is found murdered via electrocution in her bathtub. When Logan becomes the prime and only suspect, he calls Veronica for help, pulling her back to Neptune and into the sleuthing life she vowed to leave behind... just in time for the Neptune High 10 year reunion. Although she intends merely to help Logan find a suitable lawyer, Veronica soon realizes that to clear Logan's name she'll have to return to her old ways and find out who really killed Bonnie Deville, and why. But what price will Veronica pay to clear Logan's name?The movie plays out like a higher-budget, better-produced, grander episode of the show. The dialogue is spot-on, almost all the favorite characters are present (likely the function of the reunion), and we see Veronica resort to once again using her trademark detective skills. Being funded by fans, it's clear that Thomas carefully crafted each scene to deliver all the elements of the show that fans loved and wanted to see. The movie is very satisfying in that respect. And although viewers who haven't seen the show will surely appreciate the sharp dialogue with witty pop culture references and the solid character-driven mystery, the film clearly targets the loyal fans of the series. That said, any background pertinent to the plot of the movie is provided as a short prologue in the first couple minutes of the movie; Veronica is introduced and her detective background is briefly explained.Easter eggs abound in the Veronica Mars movie, which fans will really appreciate. For example, when Veronica first returns to Neptune she stops by Mars Investigations to surprise Keith, who is in a meeting with a client. As Veronica stands there waiting, the phone begins to ring. You can see that her first thought is something like "I'm not a PI anymore, this new Veronica doesn't work at Mars Investigations and doesn't answer the Mars Investigations phone," but then she walks over, picks up the phone, and as if she'd never missed a beat, greets the caller with the traditional "Mars Investigations." There are countless details in the movie that fans will really love and appreciate. It's clear that Rob Thomas really wanted to deliver a movie to the fans, who funded the film after all, that the fans would want to see. It's consistent with the show, the characters and plot and even the atmosphere of the movie is very faithful to the series, while also being the natural next step for the characters who have evolved and grown in the nine years since we last saw them.I saw the movie at the AMC in Tyson's Corner yesterday with my boyfriend, who has never seen a single episode of the show. I'd filled him in on the core premise of the series and given him a brief summary of the biggest mysteries Veronica solved over the course of the series, such as Lilly Kane's murder, the bus crash, and the Hearst rapist. After the movie, I asked what he thought of it as an objective viewer who wasn't familiar with the Veronica Mars universe. He said the movie was very entertaining and that, although he could tell much of the movie's finer detail is written for those who've seen the show, it is still a solid movie with good characters, thrills, suspense, and humor.Even though the movie is intended to be accessible to an audience that didn't watch the show, being a fan of Veronica Mars is definitely going to make the movie so much better. Without a history with these characters, I feel like it's just going to be a good movie, but not really spectacular. It's not a very long movie, but nonetheless at times I feel like the plot got a bit slow; this isn't a problem for fans because it's during these brief lulls that the dialogue and character interactions become the focal point, which was always a highlight of the show, but to the new viewer this will probably be a little boring. So where I feel the movie is outstanding and give it a solid 4.5/5 stars, the lay viewer will probably give it 3/5 or thereabouts, maybe more.The Veronica Mars movie is like a dream come true to a "marshmallow" (what fans of the show call themselves) like me. I enjoyed it immensely and am just so appreciative that the movie was able to come to fruition. I really hope the box office return on the movie is substantial because Kristen Bell and Rob Thomas have already expressed interest in making a sequel, and the way the movie ends definitely leaves the story open for continuation. I highly recommend the Veronica Mars movie, which is basically a gift to fans of the series who have waited so long to see these characters again.***(A sequel to the Veronica Mars movie, in the form of a novel, will be released later this month on March 25. It's written by Thomas himself and serves as a canonical continuation of Veronica Mars, picking up right after the events of the movie. It's subtitled 'The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line' and is published by Vintage Books, available in print and e-book formats.A second novel is planned for release in late 2014.)

I have a confession to make. I … am a marshmallow.Okay.I cheated.It’s not exactly a closely guarded secret that I LOVE Veronica Mars. I didn’t watch it while it originally aired. In fact, I didn’t start watching until 2009 when a (now former) friend convinced me to watch it. And watch it I did. I devoured all three seasons in less than three weeks. And thus began my love/hate relationship with Veronica Mars.Hate you ask? How could anyone hate this show? Easily. Like every other marshmallow around, I hated the fact that we didn’t get a true ending to the show. And that’s why when I heard about the Kickstarter campaign for the movie, I jumped for joy. And along with every other marshmallow, I sat waiting, nervously biting my nails until FINALLY the movie was released. As soon as March 14th rolled around, I hightailed it to the nearest AMC theater and sat, enthralled, as we discovered what had happened to Veronica, Piz, Logan, Dick, Wallace and Mac in the 9 years that had passed.It’s a total cliche to write “I laughed, I cried.” But I did in fact laugh. A lot. There were some inside jokes that you won’t fully appreciate unless you’ve watched the show, tons of cameos, a great storyline, and of course, a love triangle. Of course there’s a love triangle. After all, that’s what we were all waiting for. As for the crying, I didn’t. But there was one moment that made me want to. And no, I refuse to post spoilers and ruin it for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but for those that have? The last scene? Oh. Yeahhhhh.The Veronica Mars movie was definitely worth the wait. Rob Thomas promised us that he wouldn’t let us down, and boy, did he ever make good on that promise. In fact, the only truly negative comment I have about the movie is why are we left with more unanswered questions?! Such as: Where has Duncan Kane been all this time and why did NO ONE mention him at all? Not even idle gossip at a 10 year reunion? Yeah. That’s not weird at all. What happened to Veronica’s mother Lianne? I mean, she walked away with $50,000 and neither Veronica nor Keith has tried to find her? Then again. Maybe they no longer care. Will Weevil be okay? Where was Backup? Who will take over as Sheriff of Neptune now? And finally, who was the man in the shadows when ________ died?! These are the questions that I must have answers to and I’m a little frustrated that we don’t have them. But I’m also hoping that the lack of answers means that a sequel or even a Netflix reboot of the show, is a possibility.Even if you’re not a “marshmallow” there is enough laughs and action to keep your interest. Plus, the show is summed up right before the actual movie starts so you should still be able to watch and understand it. But I highly recommend watching the show first. Not so you can better understand but because the show is in fact a brilliant and witty show with highly memorable characters. After all, how many other shows are lucky enough to get a fan-funded movie? If you can’t find the movie in a local AMC theater, it’s also available on Amazon as a digital download. Yep, I bought it as well, even after seeing it in the theater. It really IS that good. And now I leave you with some highlights from the movie:- Mac’s new hairstyle.- Keith’s expression when he first sees Veronica.- Deputy Sacks and his mustache <3- Weevil and his ... surprise revelation at the reunion.- "Let's Go Back to My Van: The Vinnie Van Lowe Story."- The fact that you haven't talked to your ex in 9 years, now live 3000 miles away and yet you somehow still have his number in your phone ;)

It helps to be a fan of the original series, which was cut short after just three seasons. However, in saying that the script is tight, witty and the acting up to scratch. An easy way to spend a couple of hours.

Bonne histoire .On a été heureux de retrouver l'univers de la série.En plus ,non seulement le film , mais les suppléments (essentiellement des interviews ) aussi ,sont sous-titrés en français.

What a wonderful idea to bring back Veronica Mars and most of the classic cast ! Hope there will be more movies to come... Neptune inhabitants are highly missed !!!

Great movie especially if you are a Veronica Mars fan. It was great to see all the old characters and finally get closure on the tv series

Es fiel mir noch nie so schwer, eine eindeutige Sternvergabe zu machen bei einem Produkt, wie bei dem Film von "Veronica Mars". Ich sah ihn zum ersten Mal, weil mir bei einer "4 für 3" Aktion noch ein Film fehlte und ich die Story interessant fand. Ich hatte keine Ahnung, dass es davor eine Serie gab.Nach diesem ersten Mal schauen, hätte ich dem Film 3 Sterne gegeben, was sicher daran lag, dass ich noch keine Ahnung von den Charakteren und den Insidern hatte, ihn aber als solide, spannend und witzig empfand.Erst durch das Extra, das "Making of", erfuhr ich, dass es einen riesen Hype um die Entstehung durch Crowdfunding gab und dachte mir, da muss mehr dahinter stecken. Durch die überwältigende Kritik und dem Engagement der Fans beeindruckt, besorgte ich mir die Serie und wie schon bei selbiger von mir beschrieben, blieb ich die letzten Wochen komplett drauf hängen!Eine absolute Kultserie, bei der ich bis heute nicht verstehe, wie sie mir vorher unentdeckt bleiben konnte ;-)Nach der Serie sah ich mir mit großer Vorfreude und Spannung den Film zum zweiten mal an, der erste Versuch war ein knappes halbes Jahr her, und es blieb nicht viel hängen. Beim zweiten Mal schauen, würde ich nun 5 Sterne vergeben, weil es einfach ein würdiger Abschluss einer damals unvollendeten Serie war. Sie wurde ja nach der dritten Staffel überraschend eingestellt.Deswegen ist mein Tipp folgender, kennt jemand die Serie und fand sie gut, was wohl sehr viel gemacht haben, dann auf jeden Fall den Film besorgen, wenn nicht eh schon gesehen. Wer die Serie nicht kennt, vielleicht oder unbedingt mit dieser beginnen und den Film als krönenden Abschluss betrachten. Mein Fazit in Bezug auf die Sterne. 3 vorher 5 nachher, in Summe 4. Denn ein Meisterwerk ist er alleine betrachtet nicht, sehr gut allemal!