Based on what I found the film was originally supposed to go straight to Paramount+ but they decided to give it a theatrical release after it did well with test audiences similar to what happened to Evil Dead Rise in 2023. As for the film itself I really enjoyed it, I was a little concerned going into it that the musical numbers were going to be out of place but I thought that for the most part they were effective. How I would compare this to the original is that although I still prefer the original, I do feel that this is a well made reimagined version of the original story.
Fun in the theater but always asking "what's the point" was exactly our experience, if anything the fun was making fun of the musical shots or remembering the original, so not even any fun wholly derived from this movie safe for Jaquel, Renee, & Avantika
to your first point, i know the broadway show pretty well so i pretty much knew the script/ each joke... wish i was a bit further removed to enjoy it more
Great review! Loved how you were respectful but still honest and fair. I Think this was a great musical movie. Imo, it took the best elements of the OG and stage production. Also, if you've only seen the stage production, the film's pacing is significantly better. I think there's something in the movie for new AND old fans.
It feels like a watered down Mean Girls but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. Do I remember any of the songs? No. Was it entertaining overall? Kind of! I can’t decide if it was a 2 or 2.5 out of 5 for me.
Great review! I understand your conflict and agree with many of your points. In particular, Cady's ascension into Queen Bee-dom didn't feel believable to me. But I do think the movie shines when it's something very different from the original 2004 movie and Broadway show. The "Someone Gets Hurt" number is my favorite example, taking a familiar scene and elevating it to something more ominous and dangerous. Overall, I enjoyed this adaptation very much with its excellent performances, interesting musical arrangements, and creative camera work
Thanks so much for watching! Very well said, I thought Someone Gets Hurt was definitely a highlight. I’d like to see the broadway show eventually, I’m really curious about how similar that is to the film/how that was translated here
They did a poor job incorporating the songs into the story. It felt like the story repeatedly “paused” to allow for the songs to take place, which only left time for a super rushed Sparknotes version of the 2004 Mean Girls in-between the musical numbers.
Hi Sydney. I started seeing you when you reviewed Pathaan and Jawaan and now I can say I just love your reviews. There is a lot to learn about a movie before watching it. Is it possible for you to review Madam Web and review it? It is releasing on 16th of February 😊
Wow thank you so much!! Happy to have you here :) I know we are covering Madame Web on the podcast but I will try my best to review it here as well!! I am super excited haha
I haven't seen this new one yet but just premise-wise, I can see the conflict with a musical remake of Mean Girls. In my opinion, the weakest part of the original is the visuals. The camerawork is very plain and straightforward, delivering the story but never creating any imagery that's fun and memorable in its own right. A musical could be a great fix for this by encouraging the filmmakers to go wild with movement, color, set design, shot compositions, etc. On the other hand, the strongest part of the original is obviously the dialogue. Movies with iconic dialogue are the hardest to remake because if you keep all the lines exactly the same then it feels like a rehash, but if you change all the lines then you've tossed out the core appeal. So the proposition offered by Musical Mean Girls is "What if we fixed the biggest issue AND killed the biggest success simultaneously?" That's tough.
I just saw the film a couple of days ago, and personally I really enjoyed it. However there are moments where I do feel that they either alter iconic dialogue or omit it entirely but overall I thought the aesthetic was definitely the biggest jump in quality from the first film.
I 100% agree with you about Angourie Rice...I thought she was the weakest member of the cast, by far. Her voice was fine, just seemed miscast for the role. Other than that, I thought this was fine. Not great, just good enough to be enjoyable.
I have not seen the movie, but I have listened to the soundtrack. I feel this film suffers the same problem as the live action Beauty and the Beast; where the lead is heavily auto tuned and it makes it a bit disappointing. Angourie looks perfect for Cady, but I can’t help but feel she’d fair better in a straight up reboot.
I saw this a couple of days after seeing Matilda, and damn, I was spoiled by Matilda. This movie seemed more of a poor rehash of the original movie with songs, as opposed to an inspired musical of the movie. The songs just didn't wow me much here.
Great Review I Havent Seen The Original Mean Girls But This One Looked Like It Could Be A Fun Time I Will Probably Wait Till Its Out Of Theaters And On Streaming
I watched your entire review even though I haven't watched this yet. Because as much as I love Angourie Rice I have no intentions of watching this anytime soon and it's not like it can be spoiled. Going to see Beekeeper this weekend instead... Love your energy Syd. Sundance coming soon!!! #Kevflix
*Watch these 4 amazing movies released worldwide today, if they are playing in theaters near you.* 1. Mary Christmas 2. Captain Miller 3. Hanu Man 4. Guntur Kaaram':
This screams hairspray all over again cause it was a movie then play then movie adaptation of the play which like with the new mean girls felt unnecessary
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