The new musical needs to be kept inside of a box in the back of a closet.
The new musical adaptation of “Mean Girls” is a film better suited for streaming platforms than the movie theater.
The 2024 film is an adaptation of the 2017 Broadway stage musical, which is an adaptation of the 2004 hit movie. These versions are based off of the 2002 self-help book “Queen Bees and Wannabes.” Out of all the adaptations, Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls” (2024) is the weakest.
If this was the first time you ever saw “Mean Girls,” you would probably enjoy it. At its core, it’s a cheesy, musical comedy that makes for an easy watch; however, when stacked against its predecessors, the new film fails to live up.
When compared to the Broadway show, the most disappointing aspect was the musical direction of the film. Several songs from the musical were cut for the sake of time, and the ones that remained gained a very pop production.
For some of the songs, it worked. The song “Sexy,” sung by Avantika Vandanapu playing the role of Karen Smith, gained a more modern feel without sacrificing the original intention behind the number. The rendition of this piece does not feel out of place within the classic Halloween party scene.
The new production of “Someone Gets Hurt”, sung by Reneé Rapp as Regina George, also adds a new angle to the song. It portrays the scene as a darker, more sinister moment that was perfectly executed by Rapp’s performance.
The film was full of talented vocalists, but Rapp stole the show with her portrayal of Regina. Still, the production quality of many of the songs often felt cheap as the direction of some of the musical scenes were dizzying and felt more like a music video than a musical.
The largest blunder of the film was the casting of Angourie Rice as Cady. While Rice is a very talented actor, her singing voice leaves a lot to be desired. The second song in the Broadway edition of “Mean Girls” is “It Roars.” It is traditionally a high-energy song depicting Cady’s excitement and nervousness about moving from Africa to North Shore High.
In the new movie, it’s replaced by a more reserved new song, “What Ifs.” Rice’s vocal abilities do not lend themselves to higher notes or belting, which unfortunately is fairly noticeable.
Similarly, with Rice’s vocals being bland and monotonous the song “Stupid With Love” sounds more like a “Glee” reject than anything else.
Overall, the 2024 remake of “Mean Girls” feels like a musical that is afraid of being a musical. Fans did not choose to see “Mean Girls” on Broadway purely for the plot, they went for the musical spin that added a unique element to an already well-loved storyline.
The film industry must learn: if they’re making a musical, especially an adaptation of a smash Broadway show, they cannot be afraid to embrace all aspects of what makes it a musical.
To quote a late-night appearance from Rapp, “If the shoe fits, lace that b**** up and run.”
