Veronica Mars Caters to Fans

Non-fans, not so much
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 14, 2014 11:04 AM CDT

Fans of TV's Veronica Mars have been impatiently waiting to see their favorite private eye on the big screen—after all, they did pay to make it happen—and critics seem to agree on what matters: The diehards will like the full-length feature. Here's what they're saying:

  • "That is just so Veronica Mars," writes Betsy Sharkey at the Los Angeles Times. Though it's not "a particularly ambitious film," it "ties up a lot of loose ends and opens up a new can of worms." Plus, you get the sense that with each frame, the filmmakers and actors are showing their appreciation to the show's fans. And bonus: It leaves the door open for more.
  • "Veronica Mars is a great deal more than a bonus episode, but slightly less than a movie," David Hiltbrand writes in the Philadelphia Inquirer. This full-length venture has "all the wit and attitude that made you obsess over the girl private eye with the sharp tongue," but those who aren't mega fans may not enjoy it quite as much. But hey, at least they can look forward to "a rather distinguished batch of cameos."
  • But Claudia Puig at USA Today basically disagrees with all of his points. She calls Veronica Mars "a film noir detective story that works for both devotees of the series and the uninitiated," while "it's effective as a sequel to the television series and works just as well as a stand-alone film." Plus, Kristen Bell is "as sharp, engaging, and witty as ever."
  • All of that, however, is a far cry from what Peter Howell at the Toronto Star is thinking. "Be careful what you wish for, and also what you buy into," he writes, calling the film "underwhelming." Newcomers and even the more demanding fans "might wonder if the movie needed to be kick-started with something more than money, and whether there's any need for a sequel. It's a serious puzzle worthy of a Veronica Mars investigation."
(More Veronica Mars stories.)

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