Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11687 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-10-11
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, Colour, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 6
• Dimensions: .75 pounds
• Running time: 935 minutes

Customer Reviews

Surprisingly Good
I didn't have high hopes for Veronica Mars, but I was really impressed. The chemistry between the actors and the social dynamics are very good. Particularly the relationship between Veronica and her dad Keith - who is played superbly. He has the cringeworthy 'dadness' down, but enough warmth and personality to avoid being a stereotype. Interesting as well as the series goes along with Keith trying to look out for his little girl, while in many respects Veronica is looking out for her dad. Both know more than the other thinks they know, and the byplay between the P.I ex-sheriff dad and the super-sleuth teenage daughter can be both touching and amusing as they try and outfox eachother.
Veronica is an interesting character as her social isolation at school clashes with her job's need for interviews and people skills. She has problems letting anyone get close to her due to personal issues which are fleshed out in the series, and deals with this through anger and 'getting even.'
Ultimately, her goal is to find out who killed her best friend Lily and she's very determined, single-minded and cutthroat on that score.
Throughout the series you get a constrast through glashbacks between the previous 'sweet sixteen' style Veronica and the Veronica of the present.
Veronica Mars is a genre straddler - reminiscent of Buffy, but also detective shows and in some ways Twin Peaks (though in a teenage setting and without the surrealism). Often the plot has one over arcing story, with various smaller 'whodunnits', with the usual twists and red herrings.
Near the end of the series it can become addictive viewing as the plot twists are resolved - I watched five episodes in one day...

The begining of season 2 has been a bit of a let down so far, but hopefully it will pick up and be of the same calibre of season 1.

Incredible!
Honestly I only watched the show because of praise from Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy). So I went ahead and watched the series and it was incredible! It's my new Buffy, the characters, the plot, the everything is like a scoop of Ben and Jerrys. It's just...amazing.

Teen Drama With A Heart Of Darkness
It is difficult to summarise this series, but I'll try.

Once upon a time, Veronica Mars had it all. Her father was the local sheriff; she was dating Duncan Kane, one of the richest boys in town; and she was the best friend and confidante of Lilly Kane, Duncan's sister. But then Lilly Kane was murdered and Veronica's life fell apart. Her father was voted out after bungling the murder investigation and they now live in a shabby flat on the wrong side of town, existing on the living he makes from his P.I. business. And when the town is Neptune, the wrong side can be a dark and dangerous place. Ostracised by the people she once counted as her friends, Veronica does her best to survive high school and help her dad, all the while focused on (some might say obsessed by) her own personal mission: to find out who really murdered Lilly Kane.

As you can see from this brief summary, this is no ordinary teen series and Veronica Mars is no ordinary character. With her wit, cynicism and cute blonde appearance, it is easy to see why she has been compared to the iconic Buffy, though I would argue that Veronica is much more bitter than early Buffy. Neptune is a corrupt town. There are very few decent people. Everyone has a motive, everyone has a price. In all of this, Veronica has two people that she can rely on: her father and her new friend, Wallace Fennel. Keith Mars is probably one of the best fictional fathers ever created, up there with Atticus Finch, and his mutual love and tenderness with Veronica often provide a necessary light and a balance to the generally dysfunctional and damaged parent-child relationships that you see with the other characters. Wallace is just fun, a good counterpoint to Veronica's darkness and jagged edges, providing the support and grounding she needs. Then there's Logan Echolls, seemingly a text-book bad boy who gradually reveals more layers than you'd think possible; Mac, the Q to Veronica's Bond; and the arrogant Don Lamb, replacement Sheriff and Veronica's rival in the investigation stakes.

Apart from the witty script and interesting characters, what is most appealing about this series is its refusal to gloss over the darker side of life. Unlike "The O.C." and other American series aimed at teeangers, "Veronica Mars" refuses to be sentimental. The teenagers can be nasty and cruel, the adults weak and self-serving. Bad things can (and do) happen to good people. The dead do not come back to life. One of the most poignant scenes in the whole series comes right at the end, with Veronica and Lilly lying on lilos in a pool of water lilies.

"This is how it's always going to be, right?" says Veronica.

Lilly looks at her. "You know how things are going to be now, don't you? You have to... Don't forget about me, Veronica."

You won't forget Veronica Mars easily. Buy this series and be amazed.