If “09er” and “marshmallow” are in your daily vocab, you’ll find yourself hard-pressed to not LoVe the Veronica Mars movie.
Now having been off the air since 2007, it comes as a relief to see that our punchy heroine Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) and epic romantic interest Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) still hold the same on-screen chemistry they did seven years ago.
The Veronica Mars movie takes place nine years after Veronica’s sad trudge from the voting booth. With her P.I. ways a thing of the past, Veronica is living the NYC high life with rekindled love interest Piz (Chris Lowell).
However, trouble comes knocking when Logan’s siren call wails loud enough for Veronica to grind her progress to a halt. Tasked with finding the best attorney for yet another accused murder for the orphaned millionaire, Veronica is soon dragged into the dark and twisted ways of Neptune, CA.
The one unfortunate thing about the Veronica Mars movie is that people who’ve never seen the show will be left completely in the dust. However, this being the nature of a Kickstarter-funded TV show revival, the fact that the Veronica Mars movie is a fan focused venture is expected.
There’s a novelty in the return of fan-favorites such as Wallace (Percy Daggs III), Mac (Tina Majorino) and Dick (Ryan Hansen), though the tight plot didn’t allow for any of the aforementioned fan-favorites to do much of anything.
However, it was still pleasant to simply get a glimpse at what Wallace, Mac, and Dick have been up to these days, and to see their setup for future installments in the Veronica Mars universe.
The mystery of the film is as interesting as the best of season 2, but with the darkness and intensity of season 3. Veronica has been around the block a few times, and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty for the sake of Logan, even if it might mean an end to her idyllic New York life.
There is no possible way for a superfan of Veronica Mars to be disappointed by the movie. Anyone looking to catch a Kristen Bell movie will find themselves struggling to keep up with the sprint Veronica Mars takes off at.
With sequel bait planted firmly in its plot, the Veronica Mars series took a firm leap into the future with a solid fan service film.
Grade: B+
Rated: PG-13 (sexuality including references, drug content, violence, and some strong language.)
Veronica Mars opens in select theaters on March 14, 2014.