How is it that a critically acclaimed, but low-rated series such as “Veronica Mars” came to be a film funded primarily by fans of the show? If you’re Rob Thomas (“Party Down”), creator and writer-director of the “Veronica Mars” film, going to Kickstarter to rally the fan base was the first step.
In a revolutionary campaign that utilized a crowd sourced funding site to produce the budget for a “Veronica Mars” film, Thomas managed to bypass conventional studio production methods and independently finance “Veronica Mars.” This makes “Veronica Mars” a rare sort of effort for a film, really first of its kind in the Internet age, as a fully produced studio feature meant for theaters with the backing from the generous good will of fans of the show.
“Veronica Mars” follows the titular character played once again by Kristen Bell (“Frozen”) who has long since left her teenage life as a private eye. Attaining a degree from Stanford University, Mars lands a job at a New York law firm, where Gayle Buckley (Jamie Lee-Curtis, “Halloween”) offers her a position with the company. But Mars eventually receives a call from an old flame that throws this potential career into flux. An old acquaintance, turned pop princess Bonnie Deville has been murdered and the guilt has been pinned on Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring, “Deep Impact”). Irked, though intrigued, she accepts the case.
Mars returns to the seedy town of Neptune, Calif., but will she be able to solve this mystery in time to begin her new life or will her old profession pull her back into the town?
As a film, “Veronica Mars” is quite smart in a slyly constructed fashion, filled with razor sharp wit. The central mystery of the film isn’t as compelling as when Mars is drawn into verbal combat with her bitter and dour high school compatriots at a reunion, but then again this is a town whom dedicates a portion of the reunion to an In Memoriam. Good rapport is the least of Mars’ problems.
Thomas relies on a formula that works and the film retains the style with which the television series was based upon. Much of “Veronica Mars” retains its series aesthetic and never reaches to create a genuine cinematic experience, leaving the film to feel as if just an extended episode in the series.
However, this shouldn’t be a deterrent. “Veronica Mars” can be epic on a small scale budget, retaining its pulp noir roots and striving for an ambitious closure for the series. All those Marshmallows who contributed to the film, with hopes of seeing the entire production come to fruition, can rest easy. “Veronica Mars” is a treat for both fans and newcomers alike.
