Veronica Mars

Heading into Veronica Mars, I had absolutely no idea as to what the plot was and knew less than nothing about the television show that it was based on.  This is the issue for most movies that have a strongly followed source material because, not only do you want to satisfy the fans, you need to be able to usher new and fresh eyes into the experience as well.  Simply making a project for the hardcores can limit profitability and the ultimate success of such a venture, so it becomes that you almost have to make a film that speaks two languages to hopefully appease the audience and create new fans without losing existing ones.

For the first act of the movie, I did feel like there was a lot of history that I was missing out on.  The opening narrated sequence did a decent job of bringing me up to speed on the concept of the television show, a feature that I was very happy about.  However, as we began to meet more and more characters, it became quite obvious that the people in the theatre around me knew all about their pasts and personalities, and I was simply left with having to deduce for myself what I was missing out on.  I am not sure how much you can fault the filmmakers for this, because it would have been next to impossible to properly do it without creating useless scenes of forced expository dialogue.  I do think back to Joss Whedon’s Serentity as a great example of quickly and organically introducing the various personalities, but such execution is one in a million.

As the story rolled along, a tale of a former teenage super sleuth named Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) returning to her home town and getting sucked back into the life of an investigator, it eventually began to feel as though it was coming into its own.  During the first act it seemed as though it was having a hard time shaking the television show vibe, but before I knew it I was sucked right into the life and times of the residents of Neptune, California as there was a murder to be solved.  There was nothing abrupt about this transition; it was more or less a gentle easing into the ethos that the TV series had created.  These issues that I am mentioning about from the beginning of the film were nothing of distraction, but just more of a real tonal difficulty that I (as an outsider to this world) had to be walked through.

What was really fun about this movie was the script and how the cast was able to deliver it.  There were some great pop culture references, some funny little one liners, and an ability to begin making the characters more well-rounded throughout the course of the film.  As well, we are treated to a top notch cameo from James Franco, who portrays himself.  Despite being in the movie for only a brief portion, his appearance goes a long way in disarming folks like myself who are feeling like an outsider, and it allows us to let our guards down, have a good laugh, and begin feeling like a fellow fan of the show.

The main story was engaging, yet there was a major secondary plot development that took place which felt a little out of nowhere at times.  While it had its own resolution, it did not serve the main plot line and I was left wondering if it was more to create some closure for existing plots from the television show.  Even though it felt a little too separated from the rest of the on-screen happenings, it was still not jarring enough to really be lessen the enjoyment of the movie.

As a whole, the film succeeded in presenting something that a person who is completely unaware of the original source material could become engaged in and enjoy.  The ending proved to do a good job of satisfying the audience of fans, as well as leaving myself with a feeling of proper resolution and journey.  I was an outsider at the opening credits, but by the time the movie came to a conclusion I would now consider myself a fan.

Rating – 3 out of 4 stars