Mean Girls
The Mean Girls are back! Well…kind of…but not really. It has been 20 years since Mean Girls became an overnight cult classic. This 2024 version is not a sequel and not even a reboot, but more of a musical makeover. If anything, this seemed more like a cinematic version of the Broadway musical that ran from 2017-2020. The story remains unchanged from the original. Our heroin, Cady Heron, enrolls into North Shore High School and encounters the ruthless ruler of popularity, Regina George, and her girl gang. The “Plastics” bring her into their group to show her how to become beloved, but not knowing Cady and her friends have other ill-mannered intentions.
While I have not seen the Broadway musical, I have seen the original film more times than I would like to admit. I was a little saddened that this wasn’t a look back at the original characters grown up or how their children may handle the same struggles their parents endured. I do enjoy musicals, but for me, this was one movie that I could have lived without cutaway singing sessions.
The actors in the film are very talented, including Renee Rapp who not only plays the Plastics leader excellently but also boasts some of the strongest vocals in the songs. Angourie Rice, who plays the Cady Heron this go around, plays the girl next door role strongly, but may have not been the best choice for a musical. To me, the breakout star of the film was Auli’I Cravalho, who previously played the voice of the title character in the Disney animated film Moana. Tina Fey and Tim Meadow returning for their original roles was a wonderful surprise and topped only by a fun cameo by one of the original Mean Girl stars.
Overall if you’re a big fan of the Mean Girls Musical, then that makes this film a must-see. If you’re a fan of the original movie, then you will probably enjoy it, but it will definitely not be the most “fetch” thing ever. 5 out of 10
Lead image courtesy of Paramount Pictures
