“Mean Girls” (2024) directed by Samantha Jayne was released Jan. 12 as a reboot of the cult classic “Mean Girls” (2004) created by Tina Fey in a Broadway musical spin.
This reboot brings back the raunchy high school drama with a musical twist that will have both old fans and newcomers curious. The story follows a trendy generation of high school students navigating the treacherous waters of cliques, gossip and social media.
While the familiar themes of friendship, betrayal and self-discovery are present, the film introduces new faces and plotlines that attempt to keep the audience engaged. The cast delivers decent performances, with the lead roles portraying a diverse range of personalities and backgrounds. The film attempts to address contemporary issues such as cyberbullying, body image and sexuality. Some critics argue that it does so in a surface-level manner, lacking the depth and complexity needed to truly resonate with audiences.
Furthermore, a few of the characters may come across as caricatures rather than fully fleshed-out individuals, which can detract from the overall immersion in the story. Certain characters may feel underdeveloped or even stereotypical. Hyperfemininity is important to The Plastics in the original, whereas the whole concept now has been scrapped in the new version.
Visually, the film is vibrant and stylish, with cheeky cinematography and a soundtrack that captures the energy of adolescence. However, the costumes and set design unfortunately do not add to the overall aesthetic. Many viewers complain on social media that the characters do not dress like real teenagers. The movie adds new songs like “I’m That B*tch” by RoRo, and includes most of the hits of the original stage musical. While the original set list of the Broadway musical featured 21 songs, the movie version was cut down to only 13 songs.
While some may argue that the storyline treads familiar ground, the film manages to breathe some new life into the franchise with its fresh perspective and relevant themes. Although this is something possibly more relatable to the teens of this newer generation, it does not mean that it was approached properly. Overall, “Mean Girls” is not a worthy successor to the iconic original.
In conclusion, some fans of the original “Mean Girls” may feel that the sequel fails to capture the same magic and charm that made the original a cult classic. Despite its efforts to modernize the story, “Mean Girls” struggled to recapture the same level of cultural impact and quotability that its predecessor achieved. I would rate this 3 out of 5 stars.