Official Synopsis
Veronica Mars (Bell) has put Neptune and her amateur sleuthing days behind her on the eve of graduating law school. While interviewing at high-end law firms, Veronica gets a call from her ex-boyfriend Logan (Dohring) who has been accused of murder. Veronica heads back to Neptune just to help Logan find an attorney, but when things don’t seem right with how Logan’s case is perceived and handled, Veronica finds herself being pulled back into a life she thought she had left behind.
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After watching Veronica Mars on Blu-ray the best comparison I can make is that it was like watching the first X-Files film. It was good, it brought in all the characters we know and love, and it felt like a well-made extended episode that could have been a season finale from the show. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not, it just means that it doesn’t stand out, but at the same time it fits perfectly within the scheme of the show. That’s exactly where the Veronica Mars movie stands; right in the scheme of things with the show.
The movie starts out with Veronica (Kristen Bell) trying to solidify her life as a lawyer in New York City, only to be tugged and pulled back to Neptune, California because her ex-boyfriend Logan is pinned on murder charges of a famous singer. Mars struggle with not wanting to get involved and run the risk of ruining a law career that has just started is not only valid, but Bell plays it out perfectly. You can see that one side of her character just wants to move on in the worst way and wish Neptune (and Logan) good luck, but the other side feels some sort of sick connection to Neptune and its community.
So the obvious choice for our character is that Veronica must help Logan out and make sure all is well with him before shoving off and forgetting about the town that holds so many bad memories. Along the way, Veronica meets up with old chums Wallace and Cindy, who convince her (force her) to attend their high school reunion, which uncovers further clues that unravel the murder Mars is trying to uncover to save Logan’s life. I will stop there because I know that Veronica Mars fans are foaming at the mouth for this one and I don’t want to give any details away that might spoil it for them.
Just know that you’re in for some fun times down the Veronica Mars memory lane.
Director/writer Rob Thomas and writer Diane Ruggiero did a fantastic job creating this extended epilogue of a world for Veronica Mars. They patched up some holes that might have been left open from the cancellation of the television show in the mid-2000s. Along the way, they also put together a very suspenseful murder mystery that didn’t quite show its hand until the very end.
Some of the best murder mysteries keep you constantly guessing, which is what keeps you glued to the set. Now, this isn’t some Twin Peaks type of murder mystery, but it’s good enough to make you care and feel concern about the characters again. You will honestly question along the way whether someone you love from the Veronica Mars world could be capable of doing such an act, which again makes the mystery worth your time. Yep, it’s that good.
Anyway, expect a good movie out of this one and expect some fantastic acting out of Bell and crew to help bring Neptune back to life. They did a superb job with recreating the same contained world that the show brought.
On a side note, I’m enormously impressed that Thomas had this funded as quickly as they did on Kickstarter. I think in the near future we’re going to see a lot of small films go this route when they need money when they want to keep their dreams alive and kicking. It will help avoid having to deal with some studios who can’t see beyond the dollar sign when it comes to what fans want. I’m looking at you, 20th Century Fox and your FireFly decision-making! I wonder how long that would take to get funded for an additional season. Hmmmmm…
Pipe dreams aside, let’s discuss the HD quality.
The Blu-ray version of Veronica Mars is pretty darn solid. The majority of the movie has a blue tint about it, which brings out a lot of blues, blacks and whites. The film in general is pretty clear of artifacts or graininess, which is impressive for what could be considered a low-budget project. I’ve seen movies made for 20+ million that don’t look this good on Blu-ray. Anyway, you don’t get any color banding or compression issues with this Blu-ray. Veronica Mars is a solid HD transfer. Of course, we shouldn’t expect any less from Warner Home Video in this category.
As for the features, here’s what you’re getting:
– By the Fans: The Making of the Veronica Mars movie
– More on the Set
– Deleted Scenes
– Gag Reel
Not a bad set of features with the ‘By the Fans’ and ‘More on the set’ leading the way. The deleted scenes are solid and the gag reel is what it is. I wish that there was some commentary from Rob Thomas and/or Kristen Bell. I think that would have capped off a solid Blu-ray release. Still, you get some good material in the special features section.
Own “VERONICA MARS” on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/6
