From the iconic 2004 film to the hilarious hit Broadway show, the “Mean Girls” franchise has stayed alive and well, giving the producers a chance to create one last film. On Jan. 12, “Mean Girls” (2024) debuted in theaters and generated an interesting online buzz.
The new film was intended to be a movie version of the musical, which many fans were excited about; however, after the release of the first trailer, it was clear that the direction was lost. The trailers did not market the movie as a musical, instead making it seem like a modern remake, but that was not the only thing that stood out in the trailer. Instead of keeping the trendy Y2K style, the actors were dressed in what appeared to be cheap, baggy clothing, completely forgoing the aesthetics of both the 2004 film and the Broadway musical.
After the unfortunate trailer was released, excitement dwindled for the film, but not all hope was lost. Former Broadway star and current on-screen actress Reneé Rapp was assumed to be the film’s saving grace. In 2019, Rapp made her remarkable debut as Regina George in “Mean Girls” on Broadway, bringing an entirely new feel to the already-loved character. At 19 years old, Rapp caused a Broadway buzz with her stellar voice, which catapulted her to what she is today: an icon.
Rapp was the only good thing about this movie, and when she was on screen, it was like nothing else mattered. She transformed into Regina George so seamlessly that watching her evoked a sense of nostalgia. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rest of the cast. A huge misstep by the production company was casting Christopher Briney as the lead male character because he cannot sing. To combat his lack of singing talent, his character’s songs were cut and did not make it into the film. In a musical, all lead characters must sing because the plot evolves through song, so it was a little odd to have the male lead forgo singing.
Briney’s songs were not the only musical losses in the film. In total, 14 songs were cut, including fan favorites “More Is Better” and “Do This Thing.” Instead of the original musical numbers, the film’s scenes moved along with regular dialogue, which would have been fine if the movie was not a musical.
This movie could not decide if it was a modern remake of an iconic film or a musical, and it showed. The lack of commitment to being a musical was embarrassing to witness as a musical theatre lover. So, not only did this new rendition butcher the original, it also butchered the musical, therefore making it one of the worst movie musicals ever produced.
