On Jan. 12, the new Mean Girls musical movie premiered in theaters across the world starring Reneé Rapp, Chris Briney and Angourie Rice.
The internet is torn on how they feel about the new movie, as many went into the movie not knowing it was a musical. This caused an uproar in opinions on whether it captured the same essence as the original film.
One of the main points of criticism surrounds the difference between the sound of the songs in the original Broadway version versus those in the new movie. Some say the movie version lacks emotion, but people must understand that recreations of movies are not meant to be mirror images of the original, which is why they should never be compared. Going into recreations blind of the original is a tricky feat, especially with one as iconic as “Mean Girls,” but when people do, the experience is entirely different.
In addition, musicals carry an extremely different meaning than those of regular movies. Most musicals are not meant to be taken seriously, they are meant to provide audiences with an escape from the craziness of life. Some movies are meant to make you cry, while others make you laugh. The posts spreading across the internet on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok about the movie tend to not understand this, leading to opinions critiquing every moment of the movie.
One specific critique surrounded the overuse of advertisements in the movie, specifically with popular makeup brand “e.l.f.” and the difference in sound between the movie album recording and the Broadway album. Money has to come from somewhere, and for this movie, it came from the advertisements. When it comes to the songs, “Stupid With Love,” was the main one people criticized, commenting on the lack of emotion as opposed to the original. I must agree that there is a major difference in quality between the two recordings, but it did not take away from the overall enjoyment of the movie.
Overlooking the immense negative comments on the movie, there are some highlights with the new “Mean Girls.” Reneé Rapp, who played Regina George in the Broadway adaptation, now reprising her role in the movie encapsulated the essence of a mean girl with her incredible vocals and dedication to the character. Additionally, Auli’i Cravalho, who played Janis in the new movie, impressed audiences with her interpretation of Janis and her equally outstanding vocals. Without these two standout roles, the movie would not have been the same.
Overall, the movie had both negatives and positives, making it an average movie with some standout performances. All three versions of Mean Girls shine in their own unique ways, and should not be looked at as a competition.
