Many film classics follow the life of high school girls, some of the most popular being Clueless, Easy A, The Edge of Seventeen, Lady Bird, and 10 Things I Hate About You. But there is one movie that is usually the leader of that list: Mean Girls. Released in 2004, the hit movie follows a naive girl, Cady, who navigates friendships in real high school after she had been homeschooled in Africa prior; now discovering “mean girls” and learning how to be a good friend. After 20 years of the film’s success, solidifying its place in movie history, the musical version of this movie premiered on January 12, 2024. This new rendition of Mean Girls stars Reneé Rapp as Regina George, who previously played the character in the Broadway musical adaptation, explaining her excellent vocals throughout the film. Sometimes during scenes, they were so accurate to the original movie that you would think it’s not even a musical, and then, out of nowhere, the camera zooms close to the actor, and they break out in song. Although this was a bit abrupt during specific moments, like when Cady’s class is interrupted by a musical-esque spotlight on her as she sings, it kept the movie fun and enjoyable in other moments.
Another component that separates both films is the modernization of this version. Many of the actors were able to adjust the characters to match the modern times. While some characters could present this subtly with their social media literacy, there were certain moments in the movie where you could tell it was written by someone who wasn’t the same age as the characters. For example, there were many times when there were unnecessary TikToks shown that came off as cringey and awkward to watch. But even though these moments didn’t add to the movie on a technical level, they allowed for laughter in the theater through a more unintended humor. This film’s unintentional humor continued through most of the scenes, but this time with excessive product placement. If the characters were using any makeup, you could make a safe bet that it was from the brand “e.l.f.”
Aside from the aspects that made it hard to take seriously, the film did a great job of recreating the essence of the original while changing a few details. Iconic scenes like the Halloween party and the Christmas dance were not altered significantly, however Cady’s reference to teenagers acting like animals was almost entirely changed. For younger audiences, the only pitfall of the original movie is that the 2004 high school culture may feel out of date. But this contemporary take on the classic felt more in touch with today’s younger demographic. As a whole, this film was fun, interesting, and new, but I don’t know that I would want something like this for other teenage classics.
