Mean Girls returns as a mashup of the original 2004 film and the Broadway musical it inspired with a star-studded cast embracing song, dance, and glitter to revitalize the iconic teen film for a new generation.
Many online expressed surprise that the movie was a musical and attributed the shock to unclear marketing, as the promotions did not emphasize the genre. One suggestion to clear up the confusion: do a quick search before you buy a ticket.
A vibrant overall aesthetic and incredible cinematography give this movie a pop and level of production quality which sets it apart from its predecessor. Fresh performances are full of stand-outs, while others are borderline apathetic. It naturally lacks the original’s groundedness, relatability, and character growth, which takes a backseat to killer musical numbers and stunning visuals.
If you are somehow unfamiliar with the plot of this modern classic, Mean Girls centers around a transfer student, Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) navigating North Shore High School, which is ruled by the evil clique: The Plastics, headed by Regina George (Reneé Rapp) with gossip Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood) and the beautiful but ditsy Karen Shetty(Avantika) at her side. The movie follows Cady as she gets sucked deeper and deeper into the ugly sides of ‘girl world’, while she schemes to take down Regina with the help of her friends Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey). Can Cady get through it all without losing her GPA, her crush (Christopher Britney), and her identity in the process?
In this version, The Plastics still wear pink on Wednesdays, their hair is still full of secrets, and they still utter many of the same lines they did 20 years ago. The musical format limits character development, so this film tends to fall back on nostalgia. It still manages to update the source material by fitting in new zingers after removing more problematic elements from the original.
Reneé Rapp is the cardinal attraction as her vocals and charisma are unparalleled throughout the picture. The new additions to The Plastics add a breath of fresh air to their characters. Angourie Rice (Cady), while competent and cute, lacked the energy and spark both in her acting portrayal and musical numbers when compared to her character’s former iterations. This remake also brings many cameos from both the original 2004 cast and the Broadway production to pay homage to the film’s roots and solidify this movie’s blend of the old and new.
Overall, this movie is a celebration of girlhood, musical theater, and pink, sure to delight any superfan or make the perfect choice for a lively night with friends. If you do not make it to a showing, you can’t sit with us because watching this movie is like the rules of feminism.
