I have always loved the 2004 hit “Mean Girls” ever since I was little and walked into my mother’s room and stayed to watch it. Then, when I was deep into theatre in 2017 and learned a “Mean Girls” musical was in the works, I was thrilled. When the show first opened on Broadway, I did everything I could to find clips, promotional pictures, stage door pictures; anything and everything Then, when it was announced that the “Mean Girls” musical would be going on tour, I was determined to get tickets. I ended up seeing the tour cast in Chicago in 2020 and it was one of the best theatre experiences I have ever had.
Flash-forward to a few years ago, when I first heard the news that “Mean Girls” was being adapted into the musical-version of the original film, I fell in love all over again.
I won’t lie, I was optimistic. My expectations were up to an almost unrealistic level; I wanted the dance breaks, the little pieces of dialogue from the stage production, the same songs from the musical and the same vibe the original film gave off. My standards were high, and the only one that was met was having the phenomenal Reneé Rapp come back to play Regina George in the movie adaptation.
I am sure by now you have heard all the buzz and every opinion under the sun about the new “Mean Girls” movie. Here, we are going to discuss everything good and bad about the film.
Let us get the ‘bad’ out of the way. First, as many of us can agree, the film did not meet expectations. As an ex-theatre kid, I have a right to say that when I heard a musical was being adapted into a film, there would be more of a theatrical aspect than anything else. “Mean Girls” (2024) felt like a disaster mix between trying to keep the same wit and message from the original hit while simultaneously trying to make it a musical. Speaking of the musical theatre part, did the song and dance parts look anything like a music video to anyone else? All the songs felt like I was watching a music video on YouTube instead of a theatre performance. I know they had their budget problems, but it was just a bit hard to get through. Another part of the film I want to point out is the costume choices. While I did not have the biggest problem with the costume department, many people on social media did. I have seen many comments pointing out the fact that the outfits worn in the movie, such as Regina’s, look like they came from Shein. While don’t disagree, I do know the film and the brains behind it (Tina Fey) wanted this movie to feel like it was set today. I do not know if a lot of people are aware of this, but Shein is an immensely popular website that people shop on nowadays. Another piece of the film I want to talk about is the music itself. Although I do not think every song is God awful, I do think the autotune used in most of them is. Reneé Rapp and Avantika Vandanapu of course did exceptionally well, however, I was not pleased with a lot of the other songs and their singers. I also am very disappointed with how much of the musical, such as Gretchen and Karen’s parts in “Meet the Plastics,” was cut out. As though everything cut in the film was essential in some ways or another and cannot understand why the production team would think to do so much chopping of scenes and parts. While the movie has many of its own problems and faults, not everything about it was terrible. Let us dive into the good parts of “Mean Girls,” shall we?
The movie was fun. At the end of the day, “Mean Girls” (whether you are talking about the original film or the musical) is a fun time. Even the music video-esque style performances in the musical adaptation were fun to watch. The bright colors, entrancing scenes, and fabulous dance breaks really brought the movie together. One may argue that making the musical-movie the exact same as the theatrical performances may have made it too similar or too boring, but I disagree. Isn’t an adaptation supposed to be similar? Even with a small stage and smaller budget, the Broadway performances were unreal, and they used every part of that stage to work; there is no reason that the musical film could not go all out with what they had. “Mean Girls” had its potential, but it was honestly just a letdown. I still enjoyed it; I just think that many of us (including myself) had too high of expectations for a film that could not meet them. I do think this movie was decent, and it would be a good watch if you are in the mood for a fun movie that you do not necessarily need to pay attention to. It is fun, it is silly, but it is not the best adaptation ever made.