★★★1/2
There’s no Mean Girls quite like the original Mean Girls, but I can’t deny that I had a lot of fun here! I don't see a scenario where you don't enjoy this if you loved both the original movie and the musical. Sure, it doesn't change anything much from the original material's storyline, but it honestly doesn't really need to. It’s a fun watch with a fantastic cast - Auli'i Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey steal the show! Reneé Rapp and Angourie Rice were also excellent, I genuinely thought everyone fit their roles really well. Unfortunately as good as the cast is, they pale in comparison to the original cast. The movie as a whole could be read as a pale imitation of a better movie — it’s basically the original with musical numbers added in. It’s goofier and less incisive than the original, lacking a lot of the bite the 2004 films had, but still has some fun moments. I love Tina Fey, but damn she just recycled exact dialogue. It was like 80% identical, including a lot of the jokes, spoken by actors who are too aware of the original material to be able to deliver it in any way that can be considered fresh. The movie worked best when it wasn’t trying to just recreate iconic moments from the original and instead just did its own thing. I think my biggest issue with the movie is that it avoids doing any of the character work the original did, instead opting to assume the audience knows these characters and what they want already — just going through the motions of the story, iconic moment after iconic moment.
But what the hell? You know me, I love musicals! I had fun! I thought it was good! I’ve had the songs stuck in my head since I saw it! People in the theatre were laughing and enjoying it! Sure at times I saw the streaming film it was intended to be, but I am so glad it got upgraded to a theatrical release as this is a movie worthy of seeing on a big screen with an audience!
Not since Rob Marshall and Chicago has a feature film debut shown such a confident, innate understanding of the musical genre and how to make it cinematic for a modern audience. You can tell this is the directors’ first feature, but it’s a good first feature, with a lot of creativity especially with the camera, lighting, and staging of the musical sequences. Coming from the perspective of someone who adores the 2004 film but never got the chance to see the Broadway show — I was really blown away by the music—such memorable songs and so well woven into the story. I wouldn’t say it’s the best musical out there, but it worked for this! The film feels charmingly familiar but also alive in a fun, fresh way. I liked it; Mean Girls (2024) is a fun, fetch way of rewatching the original!
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