CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Film Review: ‘Veronica Mars’ Wishes it Was Still on TV
CHICAGO – A TV movie for the silver screen, “Veronica Mars” is a historical film that was Kickstarted into existence by the will of 91,585 backers. Now, it stands like a crossroads in the intersection between TV and film, showing that what may work in TV doesn’t necessarily make for a great film.
Rating: 2.5/5.0 |
Our world is introduced/re-introduced to the universe of “Veronica Mars” with a slideshow and voiceover, which could be the opening credits for the original TV show for all I know. After the catchup we find our title hero (played with lightness by Kristen Bell) interviewing for a job at a law firm, where her potential boss Gayle Buckley (Jamie Lee Curtis) helps fill in more background with obvious exposition. We learn not long after that Veronica has a boyfriend (Chris Lowell) as well, who has become a good-humored support despite her history that everyone seems to know about.
Veronica is brought back to this history when her ex-boyfriend Logan (Jason Dohirng) is accused of murdering his pop star girlfriend. She utilizes her infamous skills as a local private investigator to unravel a mystery, while reconnecting with the many people from her high school who still share dark secrets.
In a way that gives the show its hip geeky edge, the dialogue of “Veronica Mars” is constructed around sporadic mad-libs, which includes name-drops to the Barenaked Ladies, “Sharknado”, Clint Eastwood, and the term “asshat”. In an admirable feat, the portion in which characters spout these phrases is fitting - while the “Veronica Mars” may not be all that funny, it doesn’t come as desperate for relevancy. Instead, it positions itself well-within a realistic pop culture stratosphere where movies, music, and celebrities are intertwined.
Kristen Bell is the Title Character in ‘Veronica Mars’
Photo credit: Warner Bros.