In 2004, Mean Girls hit American theaters and stole millions of hearts with its comedic prowess and heartwarming message. The early 2000s cult classic, conceptualized by Tina Fey and directed by Mark Waters, follows 17-year- old Cady Heron as she leaves a life of homeschooling and her childhood home in Africa to navigate an entirely new kind of jungle: high school. While Cady cultivates new friendships with punk rock-artist hybrid Janice Ian and sassy “Almost too gay to function” Damian Leigh, she catches the eye of popular queen bee Regina George and her squad of “Plastics.” When Cady’s plot to overthrow Regina’s regime goes awry, she must decide what she values most: friendship or popularity. The movie stars Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron and Rachel McAdams as Regina George. The supporting cast includes Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler and Fey.

Fourteen years after its initial release, Mean Girls was developed into a Broadway musical, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, with musical production by Lorne Michaels and Stuart Thomson. Though the show closed in 2020, the fan-favorite story has returned in a new, hybrid adaptation of Fey’s original film and the Broadway production. The two-hour movie musical, Mean Girls, was released on Jan. 12, 2024. The film was written by Fey, Nell Benjamin and Rosalind Wiseman and featured Angourie Rice and Renée Rapp as Cady and Regina, respectively.

Aside from its successful reprisal of Cady’s hideous bloody bride Halloween costume, “Mean Girls” 2024 mimicked little of the brilliance that defined the original film. A discordant combination of bland casting, musical mishaps and poor costuming contributed to the cinematic musical’s overall tacky, underwhelming appeal.

Errors in the Casting of Essential Characters

A critical error, and perhaps the most poignantly disruptive aspect of Mean Girls 2024, was miscasting various key characters. Angourie Rice’s performance utterly dilutes Lohan’s original rendition of Cady. In place of the confident, witty energy that made Lohan’s Cady so commanding is a timid, flat character. In fact, the only palpable facet of Rice’s character was her sad puppy aura.

Auli’i Cravalho’s portrayal of Janice Ian lacked a similar panache. She failed to convey Ian’s angsty, devious personality, leaving the audience with a bland, watered-down version of the once catalytic character.

Costuming Concerns

Wardrobe choices, like Rice and Cravalho, were ill-suited to their characters. Regina’s sudden affinity for monochromatic black looks and leather jackets were among the most notable costume mismatches. Though she showcased various pink outfits , they often had a sharper corset shape that strayed from the soft, cutesy style of McAdams’ Regina. This edgy, darker look may have been intended to highlight Regina’s queen bee energy but seemed disproportionate to the ultra-girly “Plastic” persona she upholds in the original film.

Another startling costume mishap was Cady’s “Plastic” look. In the 2004 film, Cady’s transition from casual plaid and hiking sneakers to miniskirts and heels was instrumental in conveying her integration into the world of the “plastics.” In the original film, Cady’s new wardrobe consists of brightly colored pieces and lots (and lots) of pink. Mean Girls (2024) maintains a more earthy “Plastics” look for Cady, with blues and greens as more central components of her wardrobe. By maintaining a similar color palette to Cady’s pre-“plastic” era, Cady’s transformation, through which she becomes a “Mean Girl,” is less impactful.

Absence of Critical Plotlines

It is common for film remakes to remove original plotlines in favor of new ones to suit a more modern audience. However, in Mean Girls (2024), the complete elimination of various characters and side plots diminishes the story’s comedic, heartwarming feel.

Of these side-plot eliminations was removing Principal Duvall’s (Tim Meadows) crush on Cady’s math teacher, Ms. Norbury (Tina Fey). Their previously comical relationship is replaced by a grumpy, married couple who do little to make the audience laugh.

Even more staggering was the absence of Cady’s father. A major aspect of Cady’s character in the 2004 film was her relationship with her parents. The removal of Cady’s father in Mean Girls (2024) seems to have little purpose other than to further diminish the depth of Cady’s character.

Musical Dissonance

Firstly, Angourie Rice could not sing. Her voice was pitchy and weak.

Secondly, it simply did not make sense for Janice Ian to sing unless it is punk rock (which it was not: it does not suit her character).

And finally, to those who are not avid musical theater fans (and perhaps even those who are), the music was annoying and disruptive to the storyline. The film did not flow smoothly but started and stopped like a broken record player whenever someone other than Renée Rap opened their mouth to sing. The delivery lacked emotion, and the lyrics lacked the depth to contribute anything valuable to the story.

Conclusion

Overall, Mean Girls (2024) failed to live up to the original film’s name. Though diehard fans may be able to tolerate the new adaptation, if you are new to the Mean Girls universe, I would suggest you watch the 2004 film, and leave it at that. Regina George may not find it fetch, but I certainly do.