Is Mean Girls 2024 Version a Smash or Pass

Ok, going to be honest…I didn’t have too much faith that Mean Girls 2024 was going to be any good, I mean how many reboots are successful? I was pleasantly surprised and now have seen the film twice. Once for work, once for pleasure. Once sober, once tipsy, LOL. Loved it both times.

Just to be clear, this is not a reboot of the original film that debuted twenty years ago (can you believe it’s been 20 years???). This also has no relation to Mean Girls 2 – the complete trainwreck that no one should ever be forced to see. This is the movie version of the Broadway musical, fine-tuned and translated for the big screen. That being said, there is a lot of the same energy and throwbacks to the original film, with Executive Producers Lorne Michaels and Tina Fey still at the helm. Strangely enough, the trailers for the film didn’t really make it clear that this was a musical.

The popularity of movie musicals ebbs and flows, but this season other films like The Color Purple and Wonka have proven that audiences still love musicals and are bringing in a younger generation to see them. Mean Girls 2024 remained at the top of the box office for two straight weeks, making its money back in the first week. This iteration of Mean Girls won’t win any Academy Awards, but it was a really fun ride.

The audience started to murmur in the very first moments of the new Mean Girls. There is no mistaking after the first few seconds that this is a bona fide musical with the movie opening with a singing Instagram Live by beloved characters Damian and Janice that masterfully shifts to Cady Heron (Angourie Rice, originally played by Lindsay Lohan) singing her heart out to the fields of Kenya. If you saw the Broadway musical, you know it had some major issues. Script, yikes. Music, meh. Thankfully, the creative team removed seven songs from the stage production, speeding up the storytelling and not weighing down the film with clunky songs that didn’t really work in the first place.

What helps the music that remains are the actors. The musical star of the film, and who ends up stealing the entire movie, is Reneé Rapp as Regina George. After making her splash playing the role on Broadway, she returns here having the best material to work with. Her voice is sensual with a great range and she steals the spotlight in every scene she is in. Her version of one of the film’s titular moments, “World Burn,” has been on repeat on my playlist. The musical numbers are often presented in a surreal way, much like the movie Chicago, and the style works perfectly. The cinematography and stylized direction are very well done, elevating the movie to more than just a slapped-together reboot. The musical numbers also offer us glimpses into different layers of characters, making them more complex and relatable. With the musical portions so well done and artfully filmed, you forget that the music might not be the best.

The film is glued together by a stellar ensemble. Each actor understood that balance of paying homage to the energy and personalities of the original film characters, but built on that to add definition and their own interpretation. It helps that the script and music give them more to work with. Rewatching the original Mean Girls, we were only presented with very surface caricatures that while fun, lacked depth. Even The Plastics get special moments to show us why they are the way they are. Angourie Rice as Cady really captures the sweet innocence of the role, but also dives into the turning into a Plastic a bit more. We also get to see her breakdown as she realizes the consequences of her actions. Jaquel Spivey as Damian is a close second in stealing the film away. We all know and love Daniel Franzese’s take on the character, and Jaquel is given many of the same lines as the original. Jaquel has a great voice and excellent comedic timing, adding some flair to the original dialogue to make it his own. Watching Tim Meadows and Tina Fey reprise their roles as teachers is a heartwarming homage to the original, and even they are given more to work with. The only misstep is the direction of Damian’s partner in crime, Janice. Janice here is very cool and beautiful, making us doubt that she is an outcast at school with not many friends. Her presentation can be a bit one-note as well, not much of an arc here.

Comparing it to the original is a bit unfair because it is such a fresh take. A lot of care has been made to pay homage to the original (check out Cady’s shirt as a direct callback to Lindsday’s shirt), but beats and lines have been added to the proceedings to add new life into the franchise. Some moments are wisely presented tongue-in-cheek, it knows what it is and it’s winking and laughing along with the audience. Watch for the extremely funny Tina Fey moment where we think she is going to leap into song, and she does not, with a wink, because she can’t sing. Also adding new life into the piece is the addition of cell phones and social media, making it a really fun ride and a social comment to see how much power social media has on our youth.

Jonathan Van Ness has a Gorgeously Queer Life

We also get higher visibility from the LGBTQ community here. Same-sex kissing, and queer and trans kids all take their place at North Shore High School. Being socially responsible, the film has a stronger message that is anti-bullying, body positivity, and self-acceptance. There is even an added scene where Regina and Cady make amends and move on. It escapes the heaviness of being preachy because the film is such a fun ride. With everyone hating on each other in the real world, it’s a really nice moment to include.

Die-hard Mean Girls and musical theatre fans just need to take a breath and give the film a chance, it works and it’s fun. The movie does need to shave about ten minutes off, but that can be attributed to most of us knowing the original story and just wanting to get there. All in all, this film can sit with us. Oh, and addressing the film’s cameo. Yes, someone major from the original film makes an appearance. Wink, wink.
Mean Girls: Definite Smash

Photo: Paramount Pictures