As a visit to the past, this one is a bit of a novelty. Twenty years after the original film, Mean Girls the redux shows high school to still be the battleground that it was those decades ago. The hierarchy of cool is intact and the lines are drawn. While adding the ammunition of song to the mix just fuels the fun and adds a unique touch to the original.
Starting with an almost word for word recreation of the original film, when the first musical number arrives it reminds you that this version is something new. The voices behind those songs are average at best but this does well to sell the illusion that these are high-school kids not professional singers. The lyrical content is also believable.
For a work with mean in the title, this version is decidedly kinder and even more gentle. The personal conflicts are toned down and it is much more inclusive. This is highlighted by a student body far more representative of the day and an interface with social media much less destructive. It still shows the inherent dangers but doesn’t hit you over head with it.
Is the new Mean Girls just a retro blast from the past or is it a valid reinterpretation of the previous work? For those that see this question as important, that misses the point. This film was made for fans of the original as well as trying to allure a new generation of hearts and minds to a work that just wants to entertain and maybe plant a seed or two of the acceptance tree.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/ParamountPicturesAU
