The Plastics are back with Broadway hits brought to the big screen. When it comes to characters, diversity, and controversy, the new 2024 adaptation of “Mean Girls” has it all.
Directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., the film is a remake of the 2004 hit, which features songs from the Broadway musical. However, the film has started an online war over whether it is worth your time and money.
Written by Tina Fey, and Tim Meadows, the film stars Renee Rapp (Regina George), Angourie Rice (Caddy Herron), and Auil’i Cravalho (Janis Sarkisian), a well-rounded and diverse cast.
To Broadway or musical lovers, some parts of the soundtrack might leave you disappointed. Compared to the Broadway musical with a soundtrack time of 1 hour and 6 minutes, the film’s soundtrack is 34 minutes and 25 seconds, a half hour difference. With such a massive time difference and song cuts, the songs should rightfully make up for that, with some doing so and others not.
With such strong vocals from Rapp, who played Regina George on Broadway and Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the Disney hit, every actor casted should also be capable of performing to that level. But some missed the mark.
If you compare “Stupid with Love” by Rice to “Meet the Plastics” by Rapp, the difference is immediately noticed even by non-musical lovers. An actress with so much range and background in theater will clearly do better than one who lacks that skill set. When casting such a wide range of actors, it is important to find balance. With some containing skill and others not so much, some parts of the soundtrack felt sloppy and overshadowed by others. Something that was clearly overlooked by the directors.
While the soundtrack has its good moments, ultimately a good portion of it is seen as dull and monotone by fans of the franchise. An enjoyable watch for others, but a disappointment for musical fans.