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Film Review: Veronica Mars

Let me start by letting you all know that there is no way in hell I can properly review this movie without a significant amount of spoilers. Crazy spoilers ahead. You’ve been warned!

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Veronica Mars is my second favorite TV show of all time. And if you know anything about me, the one thing you would know is how much of a TV-aholic I am, so calling something my second favorite TV show of all time is a pretty bold claim (#1 slot goes to Buffy, I know, I know, you were on the edge of your seat). I kept my distance from VMars for a long time because the non-ending to the show was so completely devastating to me. I contributed more money to the Kickstarter campaign than I should have considering my current financial situation. And at this point in my life I’ve probably introduced and made crazy fans out of at least five of my friends and loved ones. Clearly, I’m obsessed.

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And in all of that obsession, I will be the first to tell you — I was very surprised by how much I loved this movie. Hype, anticipation, believing something has already achieved perfection — These are powerful emotions that often lead to intense disappointment. I was scared. Wouldn’t you be? Especially this movie coming so soon after the Arrested Development reboot, which I’m still working through my feelings about.

But when I left the Veronica Mars theater full of weird disappointment and sadness, it was not for a lack of an amazing movie. Let me be very clear on this: The Veronica Mars Movie was PRACTICALLY PERFECT IN EVERY WAY. My only disappointment stemmed from the fact that there wasn’t more of it. Seriously. So. Much. More. Despite seeing a midnight showing on a work night, I could have sat in that theater and watched more Veronica Mars until the sun came up. I could have sat there and watched it until my eyes bled, to be perfectly honest. And even then I would have sat there desperately trying to wash my eyes out going, “What’s happening?? Is Piz shirtless?? Am I missing it????”

In a way, this is part of what makes the movie so perfect. It had everything I wanted in it (okay, I wanted her to end up with Piz, but we all knew she was going to end up with Logan. I refuse to even call that a spoiler because the fandom would have revolted if she hadn’t ended up with Logan.), and it served as a wonderful little reboot of the series. On March 25 we’re getting a book that will continue this chapter in Veronica’s life and if the movie does well enough, we’re most likely getting another movie. And more books are coming. I cannot even begin to tell you how ecstatic I am.

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My biggest (and perhaps only real) criticism of the film is that I did not get enough Mac, Wallace, or Dick (there is never enough Dick, you guys. Never.) I felt that to really show those Team Logan fans that Piz was worthy of Veronica’s love, they really played him up and gave Piz almost too many lines. Look, I’ll be the first to tell you that Piz is wonderful and ridiculously worthy of Veronica (if anything, really, he deserves better after how things played out in this movie) — He always was. And I was ridiculously happy to have him in the film. But a lot of his moments to shine in the film definitely took away from Mac and Wallace, and probably took away a little from Dick as well. As much as I worship the ground that Piz walks on, and please can he be a real person who loves me because I totes would treat him right and value his inherent good guyness and banter the crap out of him, I wanted more time with the characters I know better. I really miss Mac, Wallace, and Dick. And I did not get enough of them.

I may have also mentioned a few times already (like once in passing?) that I am TEAM PIZ and not Team Logan. But I went into the film knowing 100% without a doubt that Veronica and Logan had to end up together. That being said – I liked this ending much more than I ever thought I would. There’s a moment in the film (here comes those spoilers I was talking about) where Veronica purposefully misses her plane back to New York, where Piz is waiting for her to meet his parents. And they break up, because that is the moment where he knows for sure that she will never care about him the right way. We also see her ignoring her new job, which she is supposed to be starting ASAP.

Logan isn’t the pull for Veronica here (although he’s certainly a perk). It’s investigating. Throughout the film she references several times how she is a drug addict and investigating is her drug. It ruined her life, her relationships, and we know this to be true. How many times in the course of Seasons 1 – 3 did we hear someone ask Veronica, “Does anyone like you?” She stayed away for nine years because she knew the moment she started again she would be hooked and she wouldn’t be able to stop.

I had this moment of intense anger watching the film when Veronica ruined her great relationship and her great job. “Get your life together, you’re an amazing woman.” I wanted to yell at the screen. But then I realized, that’s part of what makes Veronica so human. She is flawed. This is her big flaw. She has an addiction and its literally worth ruining her good NYC life to find out what really happened to Susan Knight (Sweet Knees, anyone?) all those years ago.

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And then there’s Logan. They made him a military man, and it was basically the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It was so perfect. All Logan has ever needed was structure and discipline. This really took a character who I considered destructive and made him grow up so much. I honestly don’t think there’s any other way I would have been happy with Logan and Veronica ending up together.

The mystery in the film of course played out flawlessly, like one of the intense season-long mysteries we’ve gotten in the past, except it resolved much faster, of course. And despite being well-versed on how clever Rob Thomas’ writing is, I found myself constantly in hysterics at the fandom shout-outs, the self-references, the witty dialogue, etc. And if I wasn’t laughing, I was screaming with joy. And if I wasn’t screaming with joy, I was digging my fingers into my thighs in suspense.

This was one of the most emotional movie experiences I’ve ever had in my life. And you could feel it in the theater, the entire crowd was so emotional and so completely satisfied with the film, myself included.

What makes me happiest about this entire experience, is that I’ve heard the film even appeals to those who weren’t already Veronica Mars fans. We’re taking over the world, basically.

Now excuse me while I watch my digital download of the film 300 times.

All Photos Credit: Warner Bros.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. This is a nice excuse to share some fanwanking, but you can’t call it a review. I don’t think any writer that you’d respect or admire would look at this and consider it good writing. It doesn’t make any sense if you aren’t a Veronica Mars fan, and it doesn’t help someone on the fence decide if they want to see it or not. You just spent about a thousand words writing something that really only has value to you.

  2. I don’t agree william. I think that if the last year has shown anything, it’s that an article speaking to Veronica Mars fans is actually of value to a LOT of people.

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