Mean Girls

Amazing movie. Absolutely kept the humor from the original. I was gagged every time Reneé Rapp was on-screen.

All of the haters are taking this way too seriously. It’s supposed to be a fun and goofy movie. Lighten up a little.

This was such an amazing movie! One of THE best for me. I LOVED how it was super similar to the original movie but still had a bunch of differences. The actors did an amazing job. The dancing/singing scenes that were done in 1 long uncut take were incredible and super impressive. There was so much thought put into the camera work, too.

I also love how they went all out with the overly dramatic scenes. They felt like scenes from a music video.

And of course, my favorite character was Janice. Her character was more human in this movie compared to the original. She still had that “I don’t care. I do what I want.” attitude, however, she showed more emotion and humanity, which made her seem less bitchy.

Overall, you can really tell just how much work went into this movie. It’s just absolutely amazing and such a fun watch!

It's like Mean Girls with Maggi.

Reneé & Auli'i stole the show! I loved their scenes!

Another potentially controversial rating, but I did love this movie. The songs are (mostly) very catchy and this new qdaptation kept the heart of the movie while removing the racism, ableism, homophobia, and the running pedophillic joke with Coach Carr. Renee Rapp as Regina and Auli'i Cravalho as Janice gave standout performances and I loved seeing their takes on the characters. Personally, the only thing I didn't enjoy was Cady. Her character was written as whiny and insufferable from the moment she comes on screen and, I hate to say this, but I do think that the part was too big for Angourie Rice. Her acting felt mousy and forced at times and, though she has a beautiful voice, it didn't match the songs or the voices of the other actors.  If you feel you can watch without the clouded judgement from your deep personal connection with the original, you will probably really like it. It is freaking fetch!

I think it's a decent movie. I enjoyed the music. I like how they created this whole new 'Mean Girls' film while still staying true to the original, if that makes sense. I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed the movie, but I think I have to preface this by saying I am not a fan of the original film and love musicals, so this was an upgrade for me. I understand all the criticism about Angourie's singing, but it felt purposefully done to me (at least partly), and for me, it worked with her character. It made sense she'd be such a fish out of water even in the musical numbers. I absolutely loved everything about Renee Rap, and I NEED Janis's stylist ASAP. That woman stunned the entire movie.

There are some parts where it's just as good as the original, and some parts where it doesn't quite live up. None of it really feels better than the original, so in total it feels like a slight step down. Not enough memorable music to really be worth the remake imo.

Great show for both fans of musicals and the original movie.

I enjoyed the musical numbers more than the stage version.

I have been vocal about my distaste for the Broadway musical adaptation of Mean Girls. I didn’t think that it worked well, I think it was the epitome of commercial cash-grab Broadway, and the music in particular really struck me as poorly written. (Not everything has to be Sondheim, but we can certainly do better than “imagine a party with dresses and cake/and singing and dancing and cake”.) So when I attended a screening of the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical, I wasn’t expecting much.

I was very, very wrong.

This movie entirely changed my opinion on the material. It not only updates the musical’s material, but combines it with an aesthetic update that speaks directly to Gen Z, predominantly with a new visual language. In moments where characters would have been addressing the audience, we instead watch them recording a TikTok in their garage or going live in their bedroom. It’s a genius way to retain the idea of direct address by having the actors speak to a different kind of audience. Social media plays a large part in this update: the beginning of “Sexy” has the screen covered with TikTok and Instagram lives of students preparing their Halloween costumes, and when Regina weaponizes the Burn Book towards the end of the movie, it’s not with photocopies of the pages like in 2004, but by leaving it where it can be found and immediately shared online by the entire school.

The music also gets an update here, with new orchestrations in every song. Gone is the blaring brass that typically accompanies a musical theatre score – this is pure pop. A lot of the vocals are toned down from what fans of the musical will be used to hearing, but these changes work extremely well on film. (See “Stupid With Love” for the best example – it’s been turned into a gentle, dreamlike pop piece that fits right where it is in context.) That’s something that’s important to remember, if you are coming into this viewing experience as a fan of the stage musical. These art forms – theatre and film – are extremely different, and therefore, stories cannot be adapted exactly the same way. In actuality, a 1:1 transition would be detrimental to the material.
Another advantage of being on film is the ability to play with the formatting, and Mean Girls uses this in an incredibly smart way: all of the musical numbers are widescreen, while scenes are full screen. This allows a visual and aesthetic shift when moving into the world of song and dance, even leaning into music video territory, in the best way. (The cinematography on “Someone Gets Hurt” is probably my favorite in the entire movie, a dark, glitzy, and seductively confusing move through a crowded living room.) Everything moves smoothly from scene to scene, often cleverly using stage tricks to blend a transition. Kyle Hanagami’s choreography showcases a talented ensemble that has been brilliantly styled by Tom Broecker to truly resemble high schoolers in 2024.

The cast is brilliant, particularly Reneé Rapp as the queen bee, Regina George. Having played the role on Broadway, she’s no stranger to the material, but it’s really remarkable how well she was able to adjust her vocals to the pop-leaning reconstructions of the pieces. The combination of her performance and the way her scenes are shot creates a truly captivating and intimidating illustration of a villain; she’s hot, and you should be terrified of her. Auli’i Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey devour every scene they are in as Janice and Damien, clearly having the time of their lives while filming this movie – for Cravalho, this is a long way from Moana and Little Mermaid Live. And, in a full circle moment, it was nice, if not a bit jarring, to see Tina Fey and Tim Meadows reprising their 2004 roles as Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall (with a new twist on their dynamic).

While the general populace is once again decrying the supposed sudden revelation that this movie is a musical, it works, and it works well. (I would go as far as to say that this particular musical works better on film than it did on stage.) I just wish that film studios would stop being coy about making movie musicals – are they “cringe” and so earnest that it hurts? Sometimes. But that’s part of why I love them, and why it’s so easy for them to make us feel something.

Maybe – just maybe – I’ll go see Les Misérables again when it’s re-released this month.