The following contains spoilers for the 2024 “Mean Girls” movie.
Like most people I know, watching “Mean Girls” was a key part of my middle school experience, so when they announced that they were remaking it, I had to go see it. For the most part, it did not disappoint.
Through the cast including original Broadway cast member Reneé Rapp as Regina George, Tina Fey and Tim Meadows returning as Mrs. Norbury and Principal Devall, the movie reimagined its original with a musical twist.
While the movie may be similar to the original, some parts were changed in a way that felt drawn out. Specifically, the Halloween party scene.
While the scene in the original played a crucial part in explaining not only how the main character, Cady Heron, grew up homeschooled, but was also a crucial plot point for the beginning of her revenge, it felt drawn out in the remake. With three songs taking place during the Halloween party, the scene felt overly explained. While catchy to listen to, I think that the scene could’ve done away with the song “Sexy.”
While on the topic of music, I was disappointed in the talent show scene. Anyone who has seen the original “Mean Girls” knows that they dance to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” however, that was not the case in the remake. Instead, they danced to “Rockin’ Around the Pole Again” with the dance from the original, making the vibe feel off.
They also changed the plot of Gretchen Wieners knocking down the CD player to Regina tripping and messing up the talent show. The degree of humiliation that happened was different from the original. The plot after this point could’ve been less extreme, as the embarrassment was worse after the incident in the remake compared to the original.
The narration was also changed. Instead of Cady narrating the story and viewers looking into Cady’s thoughts, the story is narrated by her friends, Janice Sarkisian and Damian Hubbard.
While the story’s narrative stays on point for the most part, the storyline relies on song to explain why Cady is having a different high school experience, and what happened on Oct. 3. While this change isn’t major, I preferred the humor of the story being told from Cady’s perspective.
The other major thing that disappointed me about the movie was the loss of jokes from the original.
There was no incident of a bus almost hitting someone after Regina was first hit. While some jokes make sense to no longer be included, we miss the joke of the movie opening with Cady being told about school as though she is five. These are a few of the quirks that I liked about the original that were missing.
While it has its faults, the movie overall was spectacular, especially the songs. When I got home from the theater, I had the soundtrack on repeat. “World Burn” tells the plot of Regina getting her revenge, and the passion shown throughout the song gets the point across in a spectacular way.
As someone who grew up watching the original, I feel that the remake hits the plotline well in this retelling. They still have the overall plot with a few scenes changed, but it is still the story I know and love. They still have Cady going to the math tournament and coming back just in time to be announced as prom queen. She still breaks up the tiara, which is a key part of the plot.
They also kept some key jokes which I appreciated including, fetch, gruel and Damion’s famous line, “She doesn’t even go here.” The film knew its target audience well and appealed to their needs while also including a more modern spin on things, such as Cady growing up with a single mother. I liked the change, as the film was able to become more relatable to this demographic.
The final thing I loved about the movie was the surprise guest appearance. With the movie almost over and my faith in anyone else from the original showing up gone, it was a happy surprise to find myself staring at Lindsay Lohan as the host of the math tournament. With references to her role as Cady in the original, the appearance did not disappoint.
The movie is rated 70% on Rotten Tomatoes and I would agree with that rating. The movie was spectacular with catchy songs, nostalgia for the first one and new ideas that expressed a more modern take on the original.
I would encourage anyone who likes musicals, as well as the original, to head to the theater to watch it. If you’re lucky, they’ll still have Burn Book souvenir cups and popcorn buckets left.