All the thoughts I had while watching the new ‘Mean Girls’ movie

Just as the last flames of Barbiemania finally die down, another wave of pink arrives to take on the cinema. Enter: The Plastics. 

The new Mean Girls is not a direct remake of the iconic 2004 film. Rather, it’s a screen adaptation of the 2018 Mean Girls musical—which was, in turn, based on the original film. While the plot is similar, this means that the new Mean Girls is decidedly different from the chick flick that most are familiar with. At the centre of the reimagined cult classic is Reneé Rapp as queen bee Regina George, leader of The Plastics. Rapp is no stranger to the role, of course, having received widespread praise when she made her Broadway debut as Regina in 2019. At her side, Angourie Rice takes on the role of Cady Heron, and Auliʻi Cravalho plays Janis ʻImi’ike.

I must admit that while I’ve seen the original film a few times, it’s the musical that holds a special place in my heart, so much so that the songs have appeared on my Spotify Wrapped more than once. When the film finally opened in Singapore on Thursday, I was equal parts apprehensive and excited—movie musicals can go either way, after all—but by the time the credits rolled, I found myself pleasantly surprised. Below, all the thoughts that ran through my mind throughout the watch.

Reneé Rapp as Regina George is truly a thing to behold

This is no surprise to anyone who’s familiar with Rapp’s run as Regina George on Broadway. There’s a reason why she was cast in the role at just 19, to immediate acclaim. She’s got the voice, the humour, and she completely commands the screen every time she’s on. It’s not hard to believe that Rapp’s Regina has the entire school wrapped around her finger despite her cruel actions, because even as a movie-goer, you can’t help but root for her. 

Avantika is the new name to watch out for

At the centre of what is arguably the best scene in the film is breakout star Avantika, who plays Karen Shetty. She’s quite possibly the funniest character in the movie—and despite only having one song in the show, she makes it absolutely unforgettable.

The music is not perfect, but for the most part, is still good

The film dials down the full-scale orchestrations of the musical, trading it for a more understated, pop-leaning sound. The pros: this allows a smoother transition from realistic scenes to musical numbers, and for the stars carrying the film vocally—namely, Rapp, Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey as Damian—this allows their voices to truly shine. The film’s new take on ‘Apex Predator’, in particular, really grew on me. However, this also means that the impact of some of the tracks are lost. ‘Stupid with Love’ loses much of its humour—and with it, Cady’s endearing over-enthusiasm—and ‘I See Stars’ lacks the punch it needs as the big finale number. 

Let’s talk about that one viral clip 

I admit I had some reservations about the movie going in—in part, thanks to that one viral clip from ‘Revenge Party’ that looks like it was shot on a shaky GoPro. The scene made much more sense in context, and though I still wasn’t a huge fan of that particular choice, one questionable shot does not a bad movie make. 

The TikToks work really well

It was a really smart decision to incorporate TikToks into the film. Not only do they add to the comedy (keep an eye out for the cameo by Megan Thee Stallion), they also bring the story firmly into today’s age and make obvious the volatility of social media now. 

This film seems remarkably self-aware—and it only adds to the comedy

There’s something distinctly theatrical about the way the Mean Girls movie looks, from the use of tableaus and dramatic lighting changes, to the blocking and physicality of the students (or the ensemble, if you will). This is a film that, at times, calls for you to suspend your disbelief in the same way a stage show would, and it works because the film is willing to poke fun at itself for it. You get the distinct sense that the creators know exactly how amusing it can be for a character to suddenly burst into song, or for a back-up chorus to suddenly pop into frame halfway through a scene. 

As a whole, Mean Girls was a very enjoyable watch

This film will not please everyone. It’s almost always tricky for remakes to win over fans of the original, especially when the film is as iconic as Mean Girls. There’s also the fact that musicals are simply not for everyone, something that the creative team seemed very aware of, if their decision not to market the film as a musical is any indication. But at the end of the day, for those who are willing to go in with an open mind, Mean Girls proves an incredibly fun time.