MEAN GIRLS -- So NOT Fetch

Review by Adam Donato

Bebe Wood plays Gretchen Wieners, Renee Rapp plays Regina George and Avantika plays Karen Shetty in Mean Girls from Paramount Pictures. Photo: Jojo Whilden/Paramount © 2023 Paramount Pictures.

It's funny that the conversation around movie musicals seems so negative when there are so many out today: Wonka, The Color Purple, and now Mean Girls. The Color Purple is the closest comparison to Mean Girls as they're both musical adaptations of popular films from decades ago that got stage productions. While The Color Purple gets a shiny Christmas release date, Mean Girls is relegated to January. Why is Mean Girls not getting a big holiday release? Why is Mean Girls arguably the biggest offender of musicals with marketing campaigns that hold back the fact that they're a musical? The answer is that it's bad. 

Two significant things differentiate the original from the musical adaptation. The obvious one is the fact that this movie is filled with songs. If the songs aren't any good, then what's the point of the musical adaptation? At least it's adding music instead of just doing a shot-for-shot remake. The songs aren't horrible, but terribly underwhelming. You know you saw a good musical when you're adding multiple songs to your music playlist or even if they're stuck in your head after the movie. "Revenge Party" is probably the most memorable of the bunch, as it's led by the two most well-done characters. All the numbers are full of energy and colorful, but the lyrics and performances are lackluster. The villain song was especially disappointing as Renee Rapp reprises her role from the stage. It just feels like there's so much meat on this bone, and this soundtrack only eats the skin. ​

Jaquel Spivey plays Damian Hubbard, Angourie Rice plays Cady Heron and Auli'i Cravalho plays Janis ‘Imi’ike in Mean Girls from Paramount Pictures. Photo: Jojo Whilden/Paramount © 2023 Paramount Pictures.

The other major difference from the original is the cast, outside of Tina Fey and Tim Meadows. Angourie Rice looks the part more, especially since the main character is supposed to be this shy nobody. That's a lot easier to buy if it's played by the news girl from the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies rather than the star that Lindsey Lohan was at the time. That being said, Rice's lack of musical talent holds her back from the comedic heights achieved by Lohan. Rapp is similarly lackluster, but that's more understandable as the crowning achievement of the original film is Rachel McAdams's performance. Regina George is the most important character to nail, and for her villain song to be so basic was tragic. It's frustratingly hard to understand what she's even singing. There are some attempts to add "star power" to this cast with Jenna Fischer, Jon Hamm, and Busy Phillips. The only one of the three to utilize their screen time is Phillips, and even she is a significant step down from Amy Poehler. It's not all terrible, as Jaquel Spivey shines here. That's not to say he's better than Daniel Franzese — just that his interpretation is also appealing. Everyone else from the rest of the plastics and Moana herself is mid, especially in comparison to the original. It wouldn't be so easy to call out how this adaptation pales in comparison to the original if the songs were better. 

If you're looking for a reunion special or a musical encore, Mean Girls is certainly the affair for you. People who are not fans of the original will not be as easily amused by lame cameos and references. Mean Girls is a great time if all you want to do is remember the original Mean Girls. While nothing is offensively bad about the music and performances, it's the cinematic equivalent of the question: "Is Pepsi okay?" That's why it comes out in January. ​

​Mean Girls hits theaters on January 12.

Rating: 2/5