Three days ago, I saw the Mean Girls movie musical with a crowd of fans dressed up in a lot of pink and attire from the 2004 comedy hit. With excitement through the roof, I just knew it would be a night to remember. Fast forward to two hours later, and that excitement quickly veered into sheer disappointment after realizing that the 2024 adaptation didn’t hold a candle to the original. Frankly, it neither provided any reason for its existence.
This Mean Girls, directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., was supposed to be a “new twist on a modern classic.” At least that is what Paramount Pictures promised us in their taglines and film summaries. But if I’m being completely honest, this film is a poor excuse and attempt to hold onto 20-year-old jokes and nostalgia. The musical adaptation isn’t just mediocre, it relied (a little too comfortably, might I add) on nearly every aspect of the original. And adding a couple of songs in between dialogue didn’t make it any better.
Mean Girls is a sheer disappointment.
We all know the story of Cady Heron and her infiltration of the elite and popular group known as The Plastics at North Shore High School. This time, Angourie Rice plays the character, and she does so with the perfect amount of naiveté. With the help of her outcast friends Janis (played by the film’s scene-stealer, Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey, a big-screen star in the making), Cady struggles to stay true to herself while attempting to avoid the allure and popularity of Regina George (the beautiful and incomparable Reneé Rapp), also known as the school’s apex predator.
The biggest disappointment in Mean Girls lies in the fact that it had such great potential. The material was right there, after all. But something about turning this into a musical did not work for me no matter how hard I tried to force myself to like it. The opening sequence, for example showed enormous promise with Cravalho and Spivey singing into a camera phone about the lessons we’re all about to witness through Cady’s story. It was funny, their voices were incredible, and it even appealed to those of us who aren’t shy in front of a camera.
Mean Girls is a forgettable movie musical.
As the movie progresses, the magic showcased in the opening sequence dies down rather quickly. And I was left watching a not-so-fetch film, resulting in a feeling of deep and perplexing disappointment. Perhaps because my heart was trapped with the 2004 version, or maybe I was simply tired. Even with the pardons I’m trying to give the film now, at the end of the day, this film just wasn’t for me.
And maybe that’s because I’ve always leaned on the thought that in order to make a musical great, it must contain 1) fantastic musical numbers, 2) phenomenal choreography, and 3) the former two must work cohesively with the plot. In my opinion, Mean Girls failed in all three categories. The exception to this complaint can be found in Avantika’s expressive and vibrant “Sexy.” The number itself is catchy, and the choreography was on point and fun. The rest are fine, but fine isn’t acceptable and what leads to a project dying on its opening weekend.
Despite the film’s quality, this cast deserves support.
It may not have been of the quality I was seeking, but a part of me still has a soft spot in my heart for this film thanks to the great cast. Everyone played their characters well especially considering the shoes they had to fill. For me, Auli’i Cravalho as Janice was the star of the film. Seriously, whatever she’s in, sign me up. And that really goes for the rest of the cast too. I support them fully in whatever they do next. Let’s just hope Hollywood is as forgiving as I am.
Mean Girls is in theaters now! Check out the trailer below:
