Worth Every Penny

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per_aspera_ad_astra and I saw Veronica Mars in the theater today yesterday. You guys. We saw VERONICA MARS. In a MOVIE THEATER.



I AM NOT SURE I CAN FORM COHERENT THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW TBH. EVERYTHING I COULD POSSIBLY HAVE WANTED. I did pose the question to Kelly afterward whether or not people who had never seen the show would enjoy it, and I think they'd be missing like 60% of the enjoyment, but for the fans who watched the show and loved it and Kickstarted it and wore official Veronica Mars T-shirts to the movie theater (yes, we totally did that) it was PERFECT.

Kelly: "It felt like an extra-long awesome episode. Classic VMars!"

[Pause for many birthday celebrations.]

I started this post yesterday, and then... things happened. I had a good birthday! And now that I have had several hours to digest (both the movie and the birthday cake) I have slightly more coherent thoughts.

I loved seeing everyone again. The 10-year reunion setting was SO fitting - I'm sure it was a practical consideration, since, as a fan-pleaser, you want to cram in as many cameos as possible, and that's the most logical way, but it truly felt like running into old friends, getting the gang back together. "The cameos were very well-integrated," according to Kelly, lol. Because sometimes cameos are awkward, you know? When it feels like they're just cramming people in just to have them there. (Not to mention all the new characters, many played by very familiar faces from other things.) But this wasn't like that. Other than Celeste Kane being the one to shoot Weevil, which seemed like too much of a coincidence, almost everyone they brought back had a purpose, and even the stuff that was just for fun didn't overwhelm the plot.

And it was a good plot! I was actually more interested in the corrupt sheriff's department and the class warfare stuff than the murder (oh, Logan's accused of murder again, must be Tuesday!) but I liked the way they intersected at the end with Lamb. Kelly legit exclaimed, "Jiminy Cricket!" twice during the movie - when Weevil got shot and when the truck smashed into Deputy Sacks' car. (Yes, Kelly is the type of person who says "Jiminy Cricket!" out loud when she's surprised.) (Also, poor Sacks! I'm relieved that Keith is okay, but... sad!) Presumably, that's a plot line that will continue in the novels and/or future films, since obviously just getting rid of the sheriff won't get rid of the problem, especially if the new sheriff comes from one of the deputies. Do I see another Keith Mars for Sheriff campaign in our future?

Loved Veronica getting back into the game, even changing her wardrobe (which I guess makes sense? If she only thought she was staying for a day, she wouldn't have packed enough clothes, so she had to wear whatever she had at her dad's house, which is her old stuff). Of course, it's Logan that brings her back, but that box of accessories (lol) seduces her just as much as "the smolder." Does anyone think she really would ever have been happy at a bigshot law firm defending who know what kind of sleazy clients? She's always been driven by an ironclad moral code, fighting injustice and punishing the bad guys, no matter the personal cost. Class distinctions are ingrained in her, distrusting the rich and powerful and expecting to get screwed by systems and institutions meant to protect people. Veronica has never been one to to - as she once accused Duncan of - "stand idly by." And the question of Logan vs. Piz isn't so much about the love triangle, but more representative of the bigger question - what kind of life does Veronica want for herself? Will she continue to run away from her instincts, trying to be some kind of "normal" when she never used to care about what people thought of her, because it's easier and safer than challenging the system? Or will she choose the life that's messy and complicated and unconventional, even if it's dangerous and painful, because she has too much passion to ignore?

So... ALL THE FEELS on the LoVe of it, obviously. Regarding THAT SCENE (oh come on you know the one) Kelly said to me afterward: "Sorry I grabbed you. I JUST NEEDED TO TOUCH SOMEONE." (It was not as dirty as it sounds.) I would like to think that I would have liked it no matter how things turned out with Veronica and Logan, but I can't say I'm not happy they ended up together. ALL THE FEELS FOR MY BBS.



(Kelly observed that Logan has really good posture, and I remembered him being kinda slouchy on the show, so kudos to Jason Dohring for the physical acting. You can literally see the good influence the military has had on him. It's one of those character developments that seems totally out of left field at first, but when you think about it, it makes total sense. Logan will always have that self-destructive streak, and he needs some kind of "stabilizing influence" of his own - something that's NOT Veronica - or he will just completely fall apart, and the military gave him the structure and discipline he needed.)

I didn't even mind Piz! When I heard he was going to be in the movie, I was all, "Why you gotta be forcing Piz on us, Rob?" I mean, I like Piz, as a human being (and I adore Chris Lowell), but clearly he's not why we're here. Kelly: "Poor Piz. But I don't care. I mean... I did like him. He made me happy. But I feel bad because his parents are never going to believe he has a girlfriend again until they actually meet the girl." We also agreed that his hair has vastly improved since his college years.

Other random thoughts:

• Wallace being a teacher/coach at Neptune High! And Veronica asking him to get her someone's permanent file!
• All the Wallace and Mac, basically. I love that they still seem to be buds, and when Veronica comes back, they all fall into BFFness like no time has passed. (I want GIFs of the four of them, with Piz, dancing at the after party. Adorbs.)
• It was kinda surprising that Logan was dating Carrie Bishop when I don't think they ever actually interacted during the series? Then again, Carrie never interacted with Gia, either. But I guess the '09ers all stuck together, as cool kids do, even after high school, so why not?
• "Neptune High. What do you think so far?" "...It actually does sit on a Hellmouth." Heh.
• The fight! All of Veronica's boys jumping in to defend her honor. *love*
• This moment:

• Oh Dick. Never change: "Words With Friends?" "Some people just call it texting." "I wanna ask you about the night Susan Knight died." "Of course you do. It's a party."
• Deputy Leo! I loved how he played Veronica and she is dumbfounded that he doesn't remember her. Also, I am glad you learned to enunciate, Mr. MarbleMouth.
• James Franco as James Franco! Trying on skinny jeans and trying to think of words that rhyme with orange. LMFAO.
• So, Kelly and I of course watched several VM episodes this weekend, including the one where she hides in a cupboard in Duncan's doctor's office, and then she did it again in the movie to hide from Cobb. \o/ "Okay, yes, I am petite, and it does come in handy every now and then."
• When Cobb was shooting at the trash can, OMG I was so afraid for the cat! #priorities
• Awww, Weevil makes me sad. He was doing so well, with the wife and kid and turning his life around, and then he goes back to his biker gang. :( I totally see the parallel with Veronica, but the PCHers are bad for Weevil in a very different way than the PI life is for Veronica.

So who else has seen it? Come and squee with me!

Comments

[jae]

We just got back from it! It was so fun! My favourite moment was the "I thought you were in the FBI" bit, but the stuff you mentioned was good too. ;)

-J

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Heh, yeah, the FBI bit was clever.

[ever_neutral]

Yes, what you said.

In conclusion: JAMES FRANCO.

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LOL I like that the one thing you pick out of this is James Franco. Random weirdo.

TELL ME YOUR FEELS.

[ever_neutral]

LOL, I JUST DID.

I wasn't actually blown away by the film as a film? But I largely approved of all the narrative decisions. I'm not sure about MORE continuations since almost everything felt resolved to me by the end... *strokes chin*

re: the Logan/Veronica/Piz triangle - is it weird that I feel like they should have delved into it MORE? Because as it was, I did not understand why Piz needed to be in the film at all. I mean, I liked him fine, but the Piz/Veronica relationship seemed so throwaway and insubstantial. (Why am I complaining about this.)

ANYWAY, Logan and Veronica boned (presumably) against a wall, so I got my money's worth.

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I'm not sure about MORE continuations since almost everything felt resolved to me by the end...

Interesting, because apparently the purpose of the film (beyond "make the fans happy") was to get Veronica back in Neptune so that they could set up more PI stories?

re: the Logan/Veronica/Piz triangle - is it weird that I feel like they should have delved into it MORE?

Yes. Yes it is, lol.

I don't think Piz was really necessary, either - I mean, it adds to the package of what she's throwing away if she stays in Neptune, but really I think Rob and Diane just love Chris Lowell and wanted a way to work him in. Which I don't mind, because I love Chris Lowell, too, even if Piz is pointless.

I really wouldn't have wanted MORE focus on the triangle, though. Because as much as I love LoVe, I wouldn't want Veronica's story to be entirely dictated by which dude she wants to bone. There's a lot more to VM than that.