Get in, Loser; We’re Watching Mean Girls

Mean Girls, starring Angourie Rice, Renee Rapp, Avantika Vandanapu, Bebe Wood, Jaquel Spivey, and Auli Cravalho. Mean Girls is a film adaptation of the Broadway show, Mean Girls: The Musical, produced by Tina Fey. Tina Fey and Tim Meadows both reprise their roles as Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall.

The film, like the 2004 version, follows the story of Cady Heron entering high school for the first time after being homeschooled in Africa for most of her life. Throughout her first day, she gets mixed in with a popular clique called The Plastics. The movie takes on a more modern approach involving social media and modernized fashion.

During the movie’s promotional process, it was originally hidden that it was musical. Most people who knew were fans of the original Broadway show. When it was released, videos of people’s reactions in the theater showed their confusion as to why the characters were singing.

I feel like the film would have gained more positive attraction if it was revealed to be a musical. I liked the movie’s transition from stage to film, they were creative when it came to scenery and effects. The way cinematography and lighting were used to express the atmosphere of the scenes brought homage to the stage musical.

Seeing Renee Rapp, who also starred in the Broadway show perform “Someone Gets Hurt” and “World Burn” was one of my highlights. The choreograpy and the effects truly represented how adored, yet luring Regina was.

I do wish half of the songs weren’t cut out, such as Damien’s songs. Jaquel Spivey had an amazing portrayal of Damien, and he would have been great singing “Where Do You Belong” and “Stop.” They would have been great numbers to transition to film, especially since Jaquel is a Tony Award nominee.

“It Roars” ended up being replaced by an original song “What Ifs”. I did like the newer song, but “It Roars” explored more of Cady’s wonder about the new world she’s entering. It showed her comparison from her previous home to her new home.

I wish Gretchen and Karen’s parts were kept in “Meet the Plastics”, Renee’s part was a gorgeous introduction as Regina. Gretchen and Karen’s parts would have given the song a comedic tone.

The movie went more for pop music route for the songs. Many of the songs were lacking its amped-up energy like “Stupid with Love” which originally had more love and aggression. The film version sounded more like a ballad as opposed to the lyrics.

Renee Rapp described how they wanted the songs to sound more pop so it could appeal to a wider audience. It was meant for general audiences to like it as opposed to its genre.

I liked the new social media aspect the musical had. It adds a wider perspective on how the public feels about what goes on at North Shore High.

The film received a mix of reviews from the public because of it being a musical. Others found joy in it by how it paid homage to the previous versions.

Overall, the movie keeps its Mean Girls charm with its iconic quotes and moments. The characters are portrayed well while having unique aspects to them that differentiate them from previous portrayals. It’s a good mix between the original movie and musical, Mean Girls is now out in theaters.