It took its fair share of risks, even going so far as to paint characters we thought were innocent into potential villains, like Gia. I think what happened to her was a huge part of the movie for me. Initially I was distraught at what Rob had done with her. Gia Goodman as a scheming villain? Surely not? But I always forget about what happened to her, or more specifically what happened to her father.
If your dad, the mayor, was an accused paedophile, then was blown up by a psychotic rich kid you’d have some serious issues. Those issues may be what got her into the mess that she was in when Veronica found her out. And like Veronica said herself, she was never the brainy kind. When we learned the truth of her involvement she was exonerated in my eyes. Her story made sense of her past, and though her ending wasn’t what I wanted (I’ve always had a soft spot for her), it wasn’t a cheap attempt at drama and action.
Another character that the movie made sense of was Weevil. I mentioned in my series reviews that he was sorely underused by the time the series finished. Here he wasn’t. The movies subplot, which sets up the future of the Veronica Mars franchise with ease, made him an important game piece once again. Gone are his days as a useless college handyman. Weevil, the leader of the PCHers is back.
Most importantly, though Veronica is back. Naturally she would give up her new life. It wasn’t her, no matter how much Keith wanted her to embrace it. She knows where she’s needed, and that’s Neptune.
Is she meant to be with Logan? The movie certainly makes it seem that way. She let Piz go too easily for him to mean as much to her as Logan, the love of her life. It does seem like he’s changed. He was all for Carrie’s well being, and dear lord was he amazing in his uniform. But he was still quick to throw punches at the reunion.
Whether or not she ends up with him for good, she made the right choice in cutting Piz loose. He was a great guy but he wasn’t the one for Veronica. They had a lot more chemistry here then they had in the series, but her heart was never in it.
With numbers still to come in from box office and VOD receipts the future of the franchise is still unknown, but I think there is more left in the tank, so to speak. Could this Veronica Mars movie be an annual tradition? It’s clear the fans are still on board, and 99% are elated with the movie, so things are looking good.
Hey! Figured I'd post here, really loved both of your VM pieces. I think I liked it a little less than you, but I think that itself reflects our different levels of adoration for the show. I never got around to rewatching the show again, so it's very much something I loved and enjoyed back when it was originally airing and not something that I was crying out to see resurrected. Agreed that it's nuts that the movie exists at all, though, and I think it wraps the show up in a way that the actual series didn't do. Obviously there are a bunch of threads left dangling for potential sequels, but I think the ending worked well as a send-off regardless.
ReplyDeleteBeing spoiler-ific, I thought Gia was heartbreaking. I could barely remember her from the show, but Krysten Ritter did such a strong job in her last scene, you really felt the weight of how shitty her life has been. I also loved what they did with Veronica and Logan, which was strange because I also felt their romance sunk the show in season three. But you felt their connection so much here, maybe it was just how long they'd been apart? It felt more real than having all the on-again/off-again stuff over and over for three years in a row.
Also loved the Weevil stuff. The way the movie left him was sad but ultimately truthful. I kind of wish they explored more of the Neptune social dynamics rather than the murder plot, but I guess they could only do so much.
Anyway, fantastic writing as usual, Panda!
Hey!
ReplyDeleteI think this movie was definitely more for the die-hards, so it doesn't surprise me that it didn't stick with you as much as it did with me.
I agree about the Neptune dynamics being washed over. But I think that was there to give Veronica a reason to stay, rather than it being the sole focus. I that way I think it would fit into a movie which has Veronica rooted there from the start.
And Krysten Ritter was great. I should have mentioned that in this post.
Always nice to hear from you!