Veronica Mars, the movie, is finally hitting theaters on March 14, 2014, a year and a day after a Kickstarter campaign was launched and raised $5.7 million from almost 92,000 fans to bring the fan-favorite show to the big screen. Some lucky fans and critics were able to catch the movie premiere at the SXSW Festival in Austin, TX this past Saturday, March 8. Seven years after the cult series went off the air, Veronica Mars stars Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Percy Daggs III, Francis Capra, Tina Majorino, Chris Lowell, Krysten Ritter, Enrico Colantoni and Ryan Hansen were present for the world premiere of the movie, as well as director and co-writer Rob Thomas.
Thomas took to the stage to express his thanks regarding the opportunity to create the Veronica Mars movie. The reason that the film was able to be made is because the "Veronica Mars" Kickstarter campaign was a huge success. The film's triumph in allowing fans to contribute directly to its creation has also been attributed for kicking off a trend of crowdfunding movie projects for other big names in Hollywood, including Zach Braff and Spike Lee.
"I want to thank the cast of "Veronica Mars" [loud applause] for being willing to jump back into this and working for scale. Most important, this movie would not exist if Kristen Bell had not been enthusiastic about it, had not been passionate about it, had not been willing to step up ever since we went off the air. Kristen, thank you so much," Thomas said in his speech.
While early reviews state that the movie will definitely please diehard Veronica Mars fans, it seems that hte Kristen Bell starring film is overall an entertaining 110 minutes:
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 'Veronica Mars' movie "delights Diehards at World Premiere." Abramovitch writes, "Judging from the squees of delight that filled the theater as the lights dimmed, many [fans] were in attendance at the screening. 'Mars' mania continued throughout the 110-minute film." The film is "brimming with the tart one-liners, touching exchanges and memorable set pieces -- including one disastrous high school reunion -- that made the show such a breakout hit with viewers, Thomas deftly bridges the seven-year gap, weaving in a dizzying number of characters culled from three action-packed seasons."
The Guardian reports, "'Veronica Mars' is that same kind of small-scale, popcorn-worthy entertainment, an adaptation that avoids payoffs and indulgent nostalgia and capitalizes on a procedural legacy. Sticking to what worked from his cult favorite show, [creator Rob] Thomas works off blueprints, souping up the visuals with cinematic gravitas without blowing it up into a glossy, Non-Stop-esque thriller."
Will you go watch the Veronica Mars movie this Friday?
