‘Mean Girls’ – Review
Get in, loser…. because we’re about to head down memory lane with Mean Girls, that cult girl movie from the 2000s that changed the game on teen cinema and which is now back in cinemas with some brand new flair!
From the comedic mind of Tina Fey comes a new twist on the modern classic, MEAN GIRLS. New student Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) is welcomed into the top of the social food chain by the elite group of popular girls called “The Plastics,” ruled by the conniving queen bee Regina George (Reneé Rapp) and her minions Gretchen (Bebe Wood) and Karen (Avantika). However, when Cady makes the major misstep of falling for Regina’s ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), she finds herself prey in Regina’s crosshairs. As Cady sets to take down the group’s apex predator with the help of her outcast friends Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), she must learn how to stay true to herself while navigating the most cutthroat jungle of all: high school.
2000s Mean Girls was an instant cult classic upon release and mesmerised a whole generation of teens, along with making stars of its principal cast. It was a picture that took us inside the ecosystem of ‘Girl World’ and was a quintessential snapshot of the naughties and the life of teenage girls in this decade. Since its debut, it’s continued to be a favourite that audiences continually go back to, and now an all-new musical adaptation of the smash-hit stage show gives it a whole new life. 2024’s Mean Girls takes us into teenage girl life circa Gen-Z with a focus on Tik-Toks, the ‘wet look’, and its queer-friendly style. And it’s something that will appeal to those who are veterans of ‘Girl World’, along with those new to its delicate hierarchy.
This Mean Girls isn’t just a straight re-make, and your favourite characters find new life thanks to a host of brand new performers. Case in point is star Reneé Rapp as Regina George, a popular high school student, leader of ‘The Plastics’ and the Queen Bee of North Shore High School. Whereas Rachel McAdams’ Regina George was the All-American, popular blonde teenager, Rapp creates her own version of the character as this rebellious rock girl who is up for anything and kicks back every chance she gets. We also have to give significant praise to Auliʻi Cravalho’s Janis’ Imi’ike, a whipsmart teenager and rebel; Jaquel Spivey’s openly gay and flamboyantly funny Damian Hubbard, and Avantika, who is hysterically ditzy as Karen Shetty. Also, we can’t forget about Regina’s ‘Cool Mum’, Mrs George, who is played to peak hilarity by Busy Phillips, as a suburban housewife who hasn’t accepted her age and makes it all about her.
Your favourite parts of Mean Girls return on screen from the classic ‘Jingle Bells Rock’ Dance scene, Cady’s plan to humiliate Regina, and the return of the infamous Burn Book. But what really brings the energy is the film’s pop and rock-filled musical dance numbers. And it’s serious fire! By bringing the musical to life on screen, the audience gets to groove out, and the narrative of Mean Girls gets a whole new energy and pomp to its story. And it makes for an utter blast!
Summer is here, and it’s the perfect time to enjoy an all-new Mean Girls experience that brings all the fun and energy of this cult classic story to life in a bold new way, leaving audiences pumped. And don’t forget, Plastic is Forever!
Image: Universal Pictures
