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Fan-funded film has broad appeal

Less than a year after the Kickstarter campaign for a "Veronica Mars" movie started, the film came to life to the joy of its fans. More than doubling the amount the project hoped to raise, fans showed their dedication to the project early on and saw their money's use when the film came to theaters March 14.

Though the movie follow-up to the early 2000's series was funded by the fans, "Veronica Mars" as a movie reached new audiences successfully. From the quick recap at the opening to casual references throughout, it was clear that the film was accessible and entertaining for those who had seen the show and those who hadn't.

Rob Thomas, the creator and director of the television series was responsible for starting the Kickstarter campaign, writing the screenplay and directing the movie. All of the original series cast members were by his side. Kristen Bell resumed her role as the title character with Jason Dohring reprising his role as her past love interest, Logan Echolls and Enrico Colantoni returning as her father and the private investigator that encouraged Veronica's initial snooping. Chris Lowell, Percy Drags III, Tina Majorino and Krysten Ritter all revisited their roles of Piz, Wallace, Mac and Gia. Amidst the past cast making appearances are cameos from Kristen Bell's husband Dax Shepherd and James Franco.

The premise was easy to follow while maintaining the mysterious qualities associated with the series. It began with a brief backstory of how Veronica came to be a private investigator, her relationship with Logan, how her friends helped her solve mysteries, and how she used techniques she learned from her father.

Viewers are hen taken to her new life, outside of Neptune, Ca, and outside of her sleuthing, where she is applying to law firms and happily in a relationship with Stosh 'Piz' Piznarski. When she becomes aware of the murder of one of her high school classmates and the fact that it's being pinned on Logan, who had been involved with both of them separately, she agreed to return to Neptune to help him clear his name.

The film revolves around Veronica re-experiencing Neptune, and deciding what it means for her. As the plot unfolds she realizes that the murder is someone at their 10 year high school reunion, which only adds to her conviction to find the real killer. The more she delves into this case, the more she blocks out the rest of her life.

The central focus of the film is on who Veronica Mars really is: sleuth stuck in a toxic town or the girl who made it out? With her dad and friends fearing she'll fall back into the trap that is Neptune, she is faced with deciding what it means to be herself.

Despite clear references to the series fandom including a brief mentioning of both Kickstarter and "marshmallows," the movie stood out on its own. Its complex story about solving crime and finding herself was relatable, intriguing and it maintained a relatively fast pace, making it a movie all audiences can be entertained by.

Samantha Giedris can be reached at samantha.giedris@student.shu.edu.


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