With everyone and their mother having fallen in love with Reneé Rapp, theaters were packed on January 12 to watch the actress portray the iconic Regina George. Mean Girls made its on-screen debut in 2004; the film directed by Mark Waters is one of the most influential films of the 2000s. Having birthed some of the most notorious characters, it was only a matter of time before new visions of the tale of Cady Heron were released. From a movie to a Broadway musical to a new musical-movie hybrid, the story of Northshore High is being told once again in a movie aimed at Gen Z, with a healthy dose of paid partnerships on the side.
The 2024 comedy musical was nothing special in it of itself, racking in 3 Falcon stars. The cast was littered with familiar faces such as Christopher Briney from The Summer I Turned Pretty as love interest Aaron Samuels and Jenna Fischer, best known for her role in The Office, playing Cady Heron’s mother. However, the most controversial character by far was the lead herself, Cady Heron, played by Angourie Rice. As the film showcases the same tracklist from the Broadway musical, vocals were harshly contrasted, and fans were quick to point out how lifeless the movie sounded in comparison. This is glaringly obvious in the song “Stupid With Love,” when Cady first lays eyes on her romantic interest Aaron Samuels and ultimately decides that she is going to do everything in her power to date him. Falling head over heels for someone you just met in class, in an arguably delusional manner, is an experience many teenagers have experienced, and the pure excitement in the voice of Erika Henningson, original performer of Cady on Broadway, captured that feeling for the audience. It was the kind of performance where you sit in the audience and think to yourself “Wow, she’s so real.” However, Rice’s monotone portrayal just doesn’t have that same energy. Amongst many examples throughout the film, when compared to the Broadway recording, much of it just doesn’t bring the same energy.
Integral to the liveliness of the movie are characters Damian and Janice, played by Jaquel Spivey and Auli’i Cravalho, who really brought life and humor into the film. Spivey and Cravalho did an incredible job of staying true to the original characters while adding a modern twist. There were some changes to the Plastics, a trio of the most popular girls at Northshore High, as well. Regina, Karen, and Gretchen were none other than Reneé Rapp, Avantika Vandanapu, and Bebe Wood respectively.
The recent adaptation of Mean Girls was lively and bright, continuing to keep you on your toes by repeatedly promoting yet another Elf product. In all honesty, that’s all it was: a fun watch, a one-and-done. All three variations of the famed franchise have a unique edge, bringing something new to theaters. After all, it’s hard to compete with perfection, and the original 2004 Mean Girls will forever live on in history.
