Mean Girls (2024): A Musical Movie Done Right
When I heard about the Stage Musical, I wondered why. But after seeing it brought to life on the big screen, I understand now. So the biggest question is, did they do justice to the musical and the 2004 movie? And yes, in many ways. Some ways are better than others. It all starts with the fact that Tina Fey made it work. And that’s just the start. Everyone involved in this movie, both in front of and behind the camera, made it possible. Growing up, I didn’t care for the 2004 Mean Girls. However, I now understand why my generation loves it. From the storyline to the script, many great things are happening. And like I said before, that’s just the start:
The cast. What a cast. Reneé Rapp plays the iconic Regina George. And nobody could outclass her even if they tried. She has a stunning voice. And she knew how to play this role in a way I can’t describe. To put it simply, it was unique and iconic. Angourie Rice plays our protagonist, Cady Heron. And I liked her as Cady. She gave an excellent performance. And even though Lindsey Lohan is better, in my opinion, she still did great. That energy of 2004 was still there from Angourie. Jaquel Spivey played Damian, and just like in 2004, he stole the whole movie for me. He was funny, and his lines were some of the best in the film. Some callback lines as well. Which was great to hear and see happen. Auli’i Cravalho was also in this. Her days as Moana showed through in her singing. And that was a great touch. Many other actors and actresses are in this, and they keep the train moving. Overall, everyone put in 110%. And that is fantastic.
The original Mean Girls budget was $18 million. It grossed $130 million. This version cost $36 million. It grossed $104 million. Paramount was behind the project, and it showed. They love to aim their eyes towards my generation. With a higher price tag, they got their money back. But it couldn’t outclass the original. But it didn’t matter. They just wanted to have a fun, nostalgic movie. And they did just that.
The songs are so good. I enjoyed hearing them in movie form. When these songs are performed on Broadway, they don’t feel as big and powerful as on-screen. That’s why hearing them on the big screen felt powerful. Of course, you can use many sound effects to make the voice sound more powerful than it sounds. I also want to point out the camera work. Surprisingly, the camera work plays a huge part in these songs. For instance, the song "Apex Predator" utilizes a variety of cool camera effects that require time and patience to get right. While shooting at average speed, they also thought about what it would look like in slow motion. As I said, it takes time and patience to get it right. Another excellent camera moment with a song is Avantika singing Sexy. Firstly, it is an iconic song from the Broadway musical. And how they shot this song was super cool. It’s shot on an iPhone. And they have several on screen at once during the first portion of the song. Another unique song is World Burn. And the camera is insane for this song, especially towards the end. This is also where I want to point out that this was a music video moment. They tried to shoot it like a music video. And, for this song, at least, it worked. The glitching in and out of this song was super cool. Overall, the songs and the camera work were excellent. I can tell why it took this long to make this movie.
Tina Fey and the entire cast and crew pulled a fantastic stunt by recreating a staple in my generation. And that’s not easy. Seeing this for the first time by myself was fine. But after seeing it with a group of friends, it makes more sense. See this movie with your closest friends because that’s how it should be. It’s a great movie. It’s nostalgic. And just a fun time.