Having watched this film when it first came out on DVD in 2014, it seemed fairly good to me. Viewing it a second time tonight was a big disappointment as it was not quite as good as I remembered it to be. Kristen Bell is an excellent actress, but the screenplay did not seem to be up to "Veronica Mars" standards even though it was written by series creator Rob Thomas and frequent collaborator Diane Ruggiero. The three seasons of the series are very good, but the film pales in comparison.
Some reviews on this site claim one can watch the film without watching the television series and not be missing anything, but how can this be true? One review goes so far so far as to claim that the film is "very much like a B-mystery series-such as Charlie Chan or the Falcon---and with many of the same old clichés that were common in the 1930s and 40s. Now this is NOT meant as a criticism-more of a comment about the style of the plot." This is complete nonsense and shows the ignorance of the reviewer.
Some reviews on this site claim one can watch the film without watching the television series and not be missing anything, but how can this be true? One review goes so far so far as to claim that the film is "very much like a B-mystery series-such as Charlie Chan or the Falcon---and with many of the same old clichés that were common in the 1930s and 40s. Now this is NOT meant as a criticism-more of a comment about the style of the plot." This is complete nonsense and shows the ignorance of the reviewer.