Veronica Mars

Rating: 4.75/5

Definitely one of the better outings for the recent trend of revivals, Veronica Mars can be easily enjoyed by many.

It's been over a decade since Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) spent her days solving mysteries for her classmates at Neptune High, but now she is trying to put her private detective days behind her and get a respectable job at a law firm. When Veronica learns of the death of her former classmate Carrie Bishop, and that her ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) is a suspect in the case, her attempt at a new way of life is put to the test.

Hoping to help Logan with the bombardment of lawyers he's been receiving, Veronica goes back home to Neptune. Veronica's dad Keith (Enrico Colantoni) is elated to see his daughter again, but is quickly disappointed when he discovers that Veronica is falling into her old detective habits. Try as she might, Veronica is unable to stick to only helping Logan with the lawyers, and finds herself smack dab in the middle of uncovering Carrie Bishop's true killer.

Veronica Mars is a perfect blend of a film made for existing fans and newcomers. As a fan of the show before seeing the movie, I probably loved it more than someone who wasn't privy to all the backstory beforehand, but I could still see the appeal it would have for someone who was just being introduced to the wit and wiles of Veronica Mars. There's a brief opening sequence relaying the main events of the show that are clearly placed to inform the new viewer and also to refresh the memories of those who may have forgotten details from the original series. Whichever way you are viewing Veronica Mars, die hard fan or otherwise, you are almost guaranteed to be entertained.

There are times in film and tv history where an actor just seems like they were born to play a role. Lauren Graham as Lorelei Gilmore is one example, and Kristen Bell as Veronica Mars is another. Mars is not an easy character to portray, due to her constant vivacity and sarcasm, but she's uncannily likable and is a wonderful blend of a femme fatale and Dick Tracy all rolled into one snappy package. Bell is able to embody this character to perfection. Even after a decade has passed since her original stint as Veronica Mars, Bell slips back into the mindset of the private eye with ease, and that has not proven to be a simple task for others in the past. I have seen many a revival where the actors are clearly struggling to find their character again, but Veronica Mars is certainly not one of those instances.

The storyline for this film has plenty of throwbacks to appease the fans, but it boasts a well thought out murder mystery to keep any viewer intrigued. It plays out more like a whodunnit rather than an overly serious plot of espionage, allowing for the audience to play along and try and solve the case before Veronica and company reveal the culprit. It lays out the clues in a way that's helpful but not deprecating to any viewer. This film certainly has its' moments of drama and peril, but they are brilliantly blended in between the effortless charm that is Veronica Mars.

Given that this movie was only made possible by the power of the fans and a Kickstarter campaign, the overwhelming desire to have the film be made should say something about the entertainment value of Veronica Mars. Maybe I'm overselling it due to my intense fandom of the show, but even so, it's a perfect example of how to bring back a series and stay true to its' origins and be just as great .