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Twenty years ago, Mean Girls offered an open, honest, and hilarious look at the psychological warfare that plays out between teenage girls—and it became a comedy classic. It was later adapted into a popular Broadway musical that was then adapted to make a return to the screen.
Mean Girls offers up a musical take on the original—this time starring Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, the new girl in a school that’s ruled by a group of girls called the Plastics and their Queen Bee, Regina George (Reneé Rapp). Regina takes an interest in the new girl and allows her to be a part of the Plastics. But when Cady makes the mistake of falling for Regina’s ex, Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), their friendship takes a disastrous turn—and Cady soon finds herself waging war against the school’s apex predator.
As the familiar story of friendship and backstabbing plays out, it does so with color and humor and music…and characters that audiences will come to love (and hate) all over again. The biggest difference here is, of course, the musical numbers, which are often catchy and energetic and fun—though, depending on the cast member, the lyrics aren’t always clear, which seems to defeat the purpose of a musical version.
The casting choices aren’t all flawless, either, but there are some stand-outs—especially Auli’i Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey, who play Janis and Damian, the outsiders who help Cady settle in at her new school. They may be supporting characters in story of teen drama, but Spivey steals any scene he’s in with his adorably over-the-top performance of this genuinely lovable character, while Cravalho adds just the right angsty edge.
Of course, a big part of what made the original Mean Girls such a hit 20 years ago wasn’t necessarily the cast; it was the story. It may have been a fun-filled comedy, but it also highlighted the reality of being a teenage girl: that girls can be incredibly cruel in quiet, manipulative ways. And that message of being true to yourself and the women around you is still here. So while this new musical version certainly wasn’t necessary—it’s not a bad updated adaptation.
When the original Mean Girls was released, it felt like the perfect combination of comedy and brutal honesty—with a likable cast and some memorable humor. The musical adaptation isn’t quite as successful—and if it weren’t for the original, this version would probably be forgotten in a few weeks (and, honestly, it probably will anyway). But if you loved the original, the musical update is worth checking out.
You can sing along with Cady and the Plastics when Mean Girls arrives in theaters on January 12, 2024.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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