Mean Girls (2024) Movie Review
The 2004 teen comedy "Mean Girls," written by Tina Fey and inspired by Rosalind Wiseman's book "Queen Bees and Wannabes," has gained a cult following among millennials in the two decades since its release. Despite being in the film's target audience when it came out—I was a high school senior at the time—I've never been a huge fan. The original movie relied on clever one-liners and the star power of its cast, including Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, and Amanda Seyfried. However, it was weighed down by humor that perpetuated racist stereotypes and other problematic elements from the mid-2000s.
Luckily, the latest version, directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., and based on the 2018 Broadway musical adaptation of the 2004 film, brings a fresh perspective to the story.
Mean Girls Movie Review
Cady Heron, who used to be homeschooled in Kenya by her research scientist mother, is now a junior navigating the challenges of public high school for the first time. This version of the story starts off more smoothly by specifying Kenya as the place of Cady's upbringing, avoiding the vague reference to "Africa" in the previous film. It also skips the offensive attempts to make jokes about Cady's background.
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The story takes a dramatic turn when Regina George, the popular leader of a girl clique called the Plastics, enters the scene. Regina, played by Reneé Rapp, captivates everyone with her powerful presence. Rapp dominates the screen with her confident demeanor, captured through wide shots showing her impact on the school and close-ups highlighting her expressive face.
Bebe Wood adds depth to the Plastics as Gretchen Wieners, Regina's friend, portraying her with a mix of vulnerability and strength, similar to her role in "Love, Victor." Gretchen's character gets a powerful song about body image and self-esteem, tapping into emotions anyone who's had a toxic friend can understand. Avantika takes on the role of Karen, known as "the dumbest girl you'll ever meet." It's a challenging role, originally played by Amanda Seyfried, who effortlessly balanced Karen's naivety. Avantika, however, sometimes overdoes the act, visibly putting in effort to play the character.
The story takes a turn when Regina, intrigued by Cady, invites her to join the Plastics. Unbeknownst to Cady, Regina and Janis have a complicated history from middle school. In this version, the backstory is richer and more nuanced, providing deeper and sadder details that make Janis' plot against Regina more understandable.
Cady faces more complications when she develops a crush on Aaron Samuels, her calculus classmate who also happens to be Regina's ex-boyfriend. With Janis's persuasion, Cady befriends Regina to seek revenge on her and win Aaron's heart. However, things don't go according to plan, and Cady finds herself caught up in the allure of popularity, losing both her sense of self and ethical values.
The new best film takes a fresh approach by blending plot points and character moments from the original film but adds a modern twist with musical and social media elements. The rise and fall of Cady and Regina's popularity mirror the quick shifts of trending topics on Twitter. Their actions are captured on cell phones, generating numerous reaction videos. One moment, Cady is nobody, and the next, she's gaining millions of views and likes. While these scenes are visually captivating, they sometimes serve as shortcuts to indicate changes in Cady's behavior that could have been better explored through dialogue.
The songs in the musical aim to express characters' emotions, following the tradition of musicals. While none of the songs are particularly catchy, Gretchen Weiner's "What's Wrong with Me?" and Janis' rock anthem "I'd Rather Be Me" stand out for their emotional impact. Even when the songs aren't stellar, the visual presentation adds flair to the musical numbers.
For example, "Revenge Party," performed by Janis and Damian, creates a visually stunning scene with rainbow colors and cotton candy clouds, capturing a certain Gen-Z Instagram aesthetic. Regina's dark song, "Someone Gets Hurt," channels the glittery, lowlight mood akin to something like "Euphoria."
In comparison to Lindsay Lohan's stellar performance in the original film, Angourie Rice's portrayal of Cady feels less dynamic and her transformation less seamless. Rice has a lovely voice, but her stage presence falls short compared to the undeniable star power of Rapp and Cravalho. Fortunately, since the musical is structured as more of an ensemble, Cady's performance doesn't completely overshadow the film. Ultimately, the movie serves as a cautionary tale against being mean just for the sake of it and celebrates teens who embrace their true selves. This time, it seems like Tina Fey and the team have successfully made "fetch" happen.