We return to North Shore High two decades after Mark Waters directed the teen comedy that sent Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams into the stratosphere as rivals in the film that incorporated “Fetch” into the vernacular of moviegoers while wearing pink on Wednesday’s became a thing. The 2024 version is based on the Broadway musical adapted by Tina Fey who wrote and starred in the original, with songs by Fey’s husband composer Jeff Richmond, and lyricist Nell Benjamin. Some songs are better than others, but irrefutably Auliʻi Cravalho and Reneé Rapp are the musical’s biggest assets, providing the strongest vocals.
“Mean Girls” premiered on Broadway in 2018 with singer-songwriter Reneé Rapp joining the musical in its second year as Queen Bee Regina George. She makes the jump to the big screen bringing a different energy to the manipulative and power-hungry leader of the Plastics, turning up the vixen quotient to “11” on a scale from 1-10. Rapp is the most distracting part of the new version and simultaneously one of the best things about it. She’s too “everything” for the role (tall, sexy, dominating) but the last thing we need is someone impersonating McAdams. It’s that fresh perspective and Rapp’s vocals that give the musical its own identity.
On a side note, Regina’s cool mom is played by Busy Philipps who is a perfect match for Rapp’s interpretation of the character. She is an extension of Regina who was probably the Queen Bee of her own Plastics back in the day.
Of course, Regina is nothing without her minions, BFFs Gretchen (Bebe Wood taking over the Lacey Chabert role) and Karen (played by Avantika in for Amanda Seyfried). Both actors do a suitable job with each getting their own song. Wood sings “What’s Wrong With Me?” as Gretchen unveils her insecurity — It’s a short number and one of the less-memorable songs in the musical. Avantika solos on “Sexy” a banger about dressing sexy for Halloween. Her vocals are purposely off-key, but it’s a fun song as the clueless member of the Plastics provides a healthy dose of the film’s comedy. This “Mean Girls” isn’t as funny as the original, the emphasis here is on the music.
The 2004 storyline is pretty much intact with Fey once again writing the screenplay based on Rosalind Wiseman’s New York Times bestseller “Queen Bees and Wannabes.” Fey also reprises her role as Ms. Norbury and Tim Meadows is back as Principal Duvall. Newcomers in the adult roles include John Hamm as Sex Ed teacher Coach Carr and Ashley Park who originated the role of Gretchen on Broadway, as French teacher Madame Park.
Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) is new to the States after leaving Kenya to move here with her single-parent mom (Jenna Fischer). She was homeschooled back in Africa so North Shore High presents a whole new world for the naïve teenager. Good thing for her and great thing for us, she’s befriended by queer best friends Janis (Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey) who become the story’s narrators. They are terrific.
Spivey fires off much of the film’s best jokes and he gets his “She doesn’t even go here!” moment. The French song Damian performs at the school talent show is very funny when its identity is revealed. Gone is Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” from the original film.
Cravalho, for me, is the film’s highlight. The actor-singer who made her debut as the voice of Moana in the Disney film, sounds terrific as the anti-Plastics, former Regina George BFF who uses Cady to bring down the Queen Bee. Nicknamed “Pyro-les” for starting a school fire, Janis is out of the closet in the 2024 musical not just gay-by-rumors as the film embraces diversity. It’s one of few instances where a member of the 2024 cast will be remembered for their performance.
Wish I could say the same for Angourie Rice whose Cady falls flat and doesn’t come close to matching the intensity of Lindsay Lohan’s pitch-perfect performance. She’s not a valid adversary for Rapp’s Regina but a suitable partner for crush Aaron (Christopher Briney), there is chemistry between the two.
Rice (“Mare of Easttown”) is a good actor. Much of the film’s fault lies with debut directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr who may be over their heads helming the Broadway adaptation. The film’s tone is uneven as the musical numbers at times feel out of place reminiscent of the occasional jarring song in the film version of “Dear Evan Hansen.”
To appeal to Gen Z, this modern version of “Mean Girls” integrates TikTok to help tell the story along with rap superstar Megan Thee Stallion featured in a few cameos and on the closing song “Not My Fault” with Reneé Rapp. This may be a meaner, sexier, and edgier version than its predecessor, but it’s partly by default to reflect the times. If you’re outside the postmillennial demographic, you may feel too old for the film that proudly claims, “This isn’t your mother’s ‘Mean Girls.’”
(2 ½ stars)
Now showing in theatres
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