It’s been 20 years since Mean Girls got its own official day (October 3, of course), introduced phrases like “fetch” into pop culture, and established a specific day to wear pink.
Now, Cady, Aaron, Janis, Regina George, and the Plastics are back on the big screen. However, don’t call this Mean Girls a remake. While the trailers may have kept it under wraps, this is a full-blown musical, making it more of a companion piece than a simple remake.
Based on the Broadway musical (heading to London later this year), it’s a fresh take on a familiar story updated for the TikTok generation. Rest assured, it still aims to please the original fans and doesn’t make us feel (too) old.
While the genre has shifted, the story remains the same. In case you haven’t seen Mean Girls, it follows new student Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) who transfers from Africa to a US high school with its own social hierarchy.
She’s soon invited to the top of the social ladder by Regina George (Reneé Rapp), leader of The Plastics. But when Cady falls for Regina’s ex, Aaron (Christopher Briney), she finds herself targeted by Regina and must bring her down before being metaphorically devoured.
The plot of mean girls progresses as expected, with some tweaks. Social media has a larger role, and Janis and Aaron, as narrators, get more screen time. However, no major changes risk alienating longtime fans.
With nods to the original film and classic lines, one might wonder about the point. But transitioning it to a musical gives Mean Girls a fresh twist.
Unlike the Broadway musical, this film isn’t a direct adaptation. Some songs were cut, new ones added, and lyrics adjusted, shifting from Broadway anthems to pop/rock hits. This might frustrate diehard musical fans, but it shows writer Tina Fey’s effort to deliver something new.
Directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr use their commercial and music video experience to stage each number creatively, playing with aspect ratios and perspectives. Characters often break into their own music videos, allowing for plenty of fourth-wall breaking and meta humor.
Mean Girls : A Fresh and Fetching Update
These visual elements would be mere embellishments without an excellent cast. Despite the updates, the actors faced the challenge of living up to the stars we’ve associated with characters like Cady and Regina for two decades, but they succeed in making the roles their own.
As good as Angourie Rice is as Cady, excelling in her first musical role, it’s still Regina George’s show. Reneé Rapp’s portrayal is more vicious and direct, commanding every scene and number, including stand-outs ‘World Burn’ and ‘Someone Gets Hurt’.
However, Regina is occasionally overshadowed by the duo of Auli’i Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey as Janis and Damian. Elevated to narrators and given more emotional depth, they shine, though it’s disappointing that Damian’s biggest number from the musical was cut.
Despite this minor misstep, Mean Girls succeeds as a smart and funny update of the 2004 movie, poised to delight fans and introduce a new generation to the concept of fetch.
