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Reneé Rapp kills in Mean Girls. That just needed to be said first. She blew people away as Regina George on the Broadway stage and Tina Fey made the remarkable decision to bring back Rapp as Regina for the Mean Girls musical movie.The Original Movie
Now, if we’re going to talk Mean Girls, we have to start with the original from 2004 so we can get the comparisons out of the way. It’s a classic. I was 13 thinking I was 18 watching what would become one of my favorite movies for the first time. I don’t have one best friend who can’t recite Mean Girls word for word. It’s a right of passage at this point. Almost everything can be related back to a Mean Girls quote and that’s what makes this movie special enough for a sequel, a musical, and a musical movie.
The Broadway Musical
Mean Girls on Broadway was an unmissable experience, for sure. When they announced they’d be hitting up the Atlanta Fox Theatre on tour, I couldn’t have been happier to already have my Broadway Subscription renewed for a new season. The musical came with the same silly, funny dialog we know from the movie but added its own flare with unique dance numbers, new songs that added to the plot, great costume design, and the best video projections I’ve ever seen on stage. This fast-paced production did the movie proud.
The Musical Movie
Without giving away too much, I’d say the cast of this Mean Girls musical movie really put their entire foot into this one. There’s so much nostalgia from the moment the first scene opens. And, if you aren’t ready for a musical movie to start with a song, get over it. Because it does. And it sets the tone for the entire 1 hour and 52 minutes you’re about to watch.
It’s a different type of movie experience knowing what you’re about to watch because you’ve seen it before but still being surprised with how it plays out in musical movie form. The story is pretty much the exact same from beginning to end. But when you know the original movie as well as any millennial should, hearing a new actor’s take on the script and seeing your favorite scenes turned into song gives you a unique movie-viewing pleasure.
The cast is way more diverse, some of our faves are back with a twist, and the actors can really sing. If you’ve read this far, you’re as obsessed with Mean Girls as I am so, I know you’ll get a kick out of this movie.
Try to catch an early access screening before it opens in theaters January 12th.
*Since some of you won’t be reading past this point, please don’t be the person who leaves before the credits stop rolling.
And if you haven’t seen the new Mean Girls musical movie, or you aren’t interested in spoilers, I’d suggest you stop here, boo.
***********Spoilers Below***********
Lindsay Lohan. Megan Thee Stallion. Chris Olsen. Nia Sioux. Just a few of the cameos we saw making an appearance at different points in the movie. The use of social media videos created a similar backdrop as the video projections for the Broadway musical. If you aren’t scanning the screen fast enough, you might miss some of your faves popping in and out.
The talent show is probably one of the most memorable scenes in the entire movie and somehow this new version is more shocking than the original. From Kevin G and the Power of 3 to our favorite foursome rockin’ around the Christmas tree, you won’t be spared from any laughs.
The Cast of Mean Girls (2024)
I couldn’t get enough of Auliʻi Cravalho (Janis) and Jaquel Spivey (Damian). They were a dynamic duo that lit up the screen. The opening number with them narrating the plot in song was the perfect way to open. They were funny, witty, and oh so lovable. They gave us nostalgia with just the right amount of making it their own throughout the entire movie.
The Plastics were cast to perfection, as well. Avantika Vandanapu ate down as Karen. She was unbelievably funny, and honestly she’s my new favorite Karen. The ditzy Karen we all know and love was even better than I could have imagined. The whole theater was laughing every time Vandanapu was on screen.
Tina Fey and Tim Meadows reprising their roles as Ms. Norbury and Principal Duvall was expected and necessary. What no one in the theater saw coming was that THEY ARE TOGETHER. It’s a fleeting remark in the script and if you aren’t paying attention, you might not catch it. But they insinuate a romantic relationship that is actually very cute and accepted.
Busy Philipps was hilarious as Mrs. George aka “the cool mom”. She’s so funny and extra and that’s exactly what the role requires.
Of course, Mean Girls is nothing without Cady Heron and Aaron Samuel’s. Angourie Rice and Christopher Briney were so cute as the leading couple. I loved how they switched up the scenes so we got a little more than “It’s October 3rd.” Briney is definitely the shaggy-haired heartthrob leading man that Gen Z will fawn over. Rice was the innocent Cady we all know and love.
Bebe Wood made Gretchen Weiners a little more likable. We all felt it when Gretchen didn’t get a rose from Regina, but there’s something about how Wood plays this role that makes me feel like I just want to give Gretchen a hug every time I see her.
And, my secret fave of the whole franchise is Kevin Gnapoor who’s played by Mahi Alam. Alam couldn’t have been funnier. Kevin G is an iconic Mean Girls character and I was so happy with his portrayal of this unashamed mathlete.
The best thing about the Mean Girls musical movie is watching your favorite scenes just break out into song. And, honestly, if you don’t like that, I don’t know why you’ve even read this far. But since you have, you owe it to yourself to watch the Mean Girls musical movie for yourself.
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