Lovingly based on the hit 2004 film and 2018 Broadway musical, “Mean Girls” breathes new life into the timeless tale of new girl, Cary Heron, and the elite “it” girls, the Plastics.
The original “Mean Girls” is one of the pinnacle films of my generation. It’s STILL quoted by my peers on almost a daily basis and probably one of my favorites to rewatch. It’s a classic.
Candidly, I don’t feel this fondly about the musical rendition. I had fun but it felt forgettable. Nevertheless, I was excited to give it another try.
2024’s “Mean Girls” proves we still have a lot to say about mean-girl culture, embracing the current teenage generation in a very “in your face” way, leaving this millennial feeling a wee elderly.
With that being said, I am going to write the rest of this review in the style of a recent TikTok trend to be in touch with my youth.
IN
- Renée Rapp as Regina George. Rapp, who formerly played George on Broadway, is not only a force to be reckoned with vocally, but effortlessly cool on screen. Rapp brings an iciness to the “it girl” and my only qualm is not having more of her in the film.
- Auli’i Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey as Janice and Damien. The two are the definition of a dynamic duo and easily my favorite part of the film.
- The diverse casting. I LOVED seeing a variety of different colors, shapes and sizes in a movie musical. It felt so much more authentic.
- The Lindsey Lohan cameo. Enough said.
- The original. Always. The original.
OUT
- Not truly embracing the movie musical genre. If you’re going to make a musical, COMMIT to it. Don’t HIDE it and don’t just throw musical numbers in there as an extra. OWN IT.
- Filming a movie like it’s made for TikTok. I’m totally cool with embracing mobile video in a feature film, but hot damn, this was TOO MUCH. It felt like a dizzying, nonstop musical.
- Sanitizing the source material. You can’t SANITIZE the Burn Book…that’s just…against the rules.
- The IN YOUR FACE product placement. I don’t think I ever want to see e.l.f. make up again.
- Feeling personally victimized by marketing referring to this film as “not your mother’s Mean Girls.”
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