Mean Girls (2024) is directed by Samantha Jayne & Arturo Perez Jr. and stars Angourie Rice, Renee Rapp, Auli’i Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Christopher Briney, Bebe Wood, Avantika, Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, Mahi Alam, Busy Phillips, Jenna Fischer, and Jon Hamm. The film closely follows the plot of Mean Girls (2004) but adds various musical elements. If you want to know a plot synopsis, refer to my review of the original film. More so than being a remake of the original film, this is an adaptation of the Mean Girls Broadway musical. Either way, the plots are all frustratingly identical.

Angourie Rice as Cady is serviceable but doesn’t add anything new to the role. She doesn’t have that X-factor that Lindsey Lohan had and almost fades into the film’s background at a certain point. Likewise, she isn’t very effective at conveying many different emotions. Renee Rapp is the standout here as Regina George, but I couldn’t help but wonder whether this is another great performance on the heels of Rachel McAdams or if the character itself is just perfectly written. Either way, Rapp brings the necessary evil, self-involved sexiness that has always made the character stand out. Jon Hamm has one of the funniest roles but is quickly pushed to the side. Seemed like a missed opportunity. As for the rest of the cast, they either play closely to the original interpretations or are returning actors from the original that just make a person ask “Why?” Granted, none of these portrayals are particularly weak, they’re just safe. However, I do have a particular problem with Tina Fey and Tim Meadows reprising their roles. They barely do anything new, and it creates confusion about where this film stands in the larger Mean Girls universe similar to what happened with Wonka (2023). I assumed this was just a retelling of the original with some characters reprising their role. The thing is, due to Fey, Meadows, and one particular cameo, there are multiple hints that the film takes place in the same timeline. And that would be ok except for the fact that this is almost the same story as the original; names, nuances, and all. The same things happened to similar people with the same names at the same school? Gimme a break. 

As for the music in the film, I was quite neutral about it. The songs are alright but nothing to write home about. They play more for comedy as opposed to making you wanna get up and sing, but I was ok with that. I was concerned the musical numbers would come at the expense of story/character, but the film does an effective job of conveying those elements through its music. Although I liked the music better than Wonka, it’s still a mixed bag. Some songs work, and some don’t. Either way, it doesn’t justify using the same script and simply adding music. Also, it all has this sort of over-produced quality that takes away from the magic that good film music is sometimes able to provide. 

The film attempts to add “modern” updates to the original, but they end up feeling cynical or shallow. Every modern addition does nothing to change the story substantively. They refer to things such as TikTok and Spotify but never implement them into the plot. All it does is sacrifice any possibility of emulating the original’s timelessness. Another element that sacrifices any possibility of timelessness is falling for the modern trend of constantly telling us in words how “feminist” everything is. I feel like I have to say this or I’ll get some shit, but “there is nothing wrong with being feminist.” I don’t have an issue with that. I have an issue with the fact that they think their audience is so dense that they wouldn’t make that conclusion anyway. The film is wholly about women and their interactions with other women and the problems that ensue between those women. It’s factually feminist. It couldn’t be more clear. Why do I have to be told multiple times to my face? It’s grating similar to if you were watching a comedy and the star kept telling you plainly after every joke “That was funny.” Thanks for telling me, I didn’t notice. It shows insecurity in the script. Almost like it wants our approval. 

As for the film as a whole, I couldn’t get past the fact of how similar this is to the original. All of the elements they add are shallow and truly don’t change anything. It’s just surface-level stuff. That being said, If you’re going to copy a film’s plot/story, Mean Girls (2004) isn’t an awful choice. I was constantly annoyed but also enjoying myself. The original material is that strong to me. Events here feel rushed and it dives into far too much cringe humor. I felt the original’s ability to approach the line of cringe but never cross it is one of its biggest successes. 

Overall, this is essentially the same film as the original, but featuring songs. I enjoyed myself while watching it, but as each hour passes, I find it to be a shallow cash grab. The only audience I can recommend this to is the younger crowd who haven’t seen the original film. The only fans of the original I could see liking this are the ones who also love musicals. If you’re anyone else, you can steer clear. Although the idea of this film kinda irks me, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a somewhat decent time. When you copy a classic like Mean Girls (2004), you’re at least guaranteed to reach a certain level of quality. C