Imagine paying big bucks to see your favorite rock band and watching them avoid their classic hits in concert. Even worse–line up to get an autograph from a celebrity and see him squirm when you ask about his most famous project.
That’s hardly the case with Veronica Mars, the new film based on the cult TV show starring Kristen Bell as the intrepid teen sleuth.
The film started out as a Kickstarter.com venture, and fans quickly wrote enough checks to greenlight the project. Now, the big-screen version is in theaters nationwide and should prove intoxicating to fans of the series.
Why?
The minds behind the movie, including writer/director Rob Thomas, clearly care about their base. The movie is chockablock with returning show players and references to previous plots. We get character reunions, romances reborn and the knowledge that Bell’s character can still solve a mystery.
Best of all, the film begins with a recap of the major story developments from the original series. Audience members who never heard the name Veronica Mars before seeing it on the marquee will enter with a rough understanding of the key players as well as the emotional stakes.
Compare that to, say, the Harry Potter franchise. Those films assumed we had just watched the previous installment and could start the next chapter without any kind of refresher course.
Veronica Mars likely won’t be a box office smash. The original show never drew a massive crowd, and Bell isn’t a major box office attraction.
That hardly matters to fans of the original series. They’ll be happy the creative team honored their affection in the best way possible.
Follow Christian Toto on Twitter @TotoMovies
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