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Almost 20 years ago, “Mean Girls” was released in theaters worldwide. Viewers were drawn in by the brutal confrontation of teenage drama and the pink color palette, leading to an eventual gross of over $130 million.
The original film’s wild success led to the 2018 Broadway musical production of the story. Tina Fey, the author of the original movie’s script and the musical, ran the production until the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. To the surprise and excitement of many fans, they announced in 2020 that the story would again hit the theaters as a musical.
This movie promoted as “Not Your Mother’s Mean Girls,” was released on Jan. 12. Although it has received generally positive reviews, many viewers were surprised to see in theaters that this adaptation was, in fact, a musical. Some blame the confusion surrounding the movie’s musical format on a lack of adequate advertising and marketing.
As someone who has been a long-time fan of both the original and the Broadway musical, the movie could be better. However, it accomplishes the challenging task of combining a cult classic movie with a hit musical while bringing originality and modern culture. While a bit cringy at times, the movie’s humor and intelligence made the film entertaining and worthwhile.
The movie accomplishes the difficult task of sticking to the original story but keeping it engaging for new viewers through some of its standout actors, including Reneé Rapp. Rapp reprises her role as Regina George after playing her on Broadway in 2019. Rapp brings originality and a killer voice to an already iconic role and doesn’t shy away from Regina’s cruelness. She has also been a unique personality in her press tour, with many commenting that she lacks the “media training” that many celebrities possess, and some have found it refreshing in modern media.
Another exceptional actress in the film is Avantika Vandanapu, portraying Karen Shetty (formerly Smith). Although some of her classic bits, such as her turn as a weather reporter, were cut from the new movie, Vandanapu retains the innocent humor that makes Karen a strong character despite her apparent low IQ and dim-witted personality.
While many deem the classic movie timeless, the new version also does an excellent job of modernizing to fit the modern teenage audience. The movie includes relevant topics such as sexuality and its role in high school politics. Auli’i Cravalho, who plays Janis Imi’ike, revealed in an interview with Teen Vogue that she played Janis as “explicitly queer” and reimagined her storyline with Regina George in a far more convincing and genuine spin than the original.
However, like all remakes of popular films, the new version must be revised in some aspects. The songs, particularly those sung by Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, are notably toned down, poorly produced and unenthusiastically sung. Christopher Briney, who plays the main love interest, Aaron Samuels, made his casting conditional and refused to sing. The lack of enthusiasm from Rice and the lack of singing from Briney hinders the musical’s production and flow.
Overall, this film may only be for some. For those who hate musicals, be forewarned that that is the nature of this movie. However, it is also a genuinely entertaining film with many takeaway lessons and laugh-out-loud moments that will leave audience members talking for days.
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