‘Mean Girls’ review: Funnier, more ambitious and better than the classic

Being a teenager is difficult. Something Hollywood needs to remember from time to time. But rarely has he done it with such ingenuity and good humor as in the film. Bad girls from director Mark Waters. 2004 youth classic based on the book Queen bees and wishers (2002) Rosalind Wiseman He is a bully and evil.

He also managed to tell the story of teenage rivalry, adversity and pain from an unforgettably humorous perspective. Some of the credit goes to Tina Fey. The screenwriter took the original material and turned it into a rare mixture of adult comedy and mockery of the American youth hierarchy. The result was a tongue-in-cheek argument that could also be fresh and innovative.

Musical Bad girls (2024) by Samantha Jane and Arturo Perez Jr. retains much of the satirical cruelty that made a generation laugh. Twenty years later, the story reaches a different audience without losing its capacity for twisted humor. Only now it’s much angrier and definitely better focused on its central themes than the 2004 film. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better. The cult film that launched Rachel McAdams’ Regina George finds much more to explore in the new millennium. At the same time, their ideas are clearer and less confused by the need to fit into a genre.

The result is a film that, while aware of where it came from (references and winks to previous ones are constant), has its own essence. Moreover, there are clear ambitions that he fulfills to the letter. This is achieved by including the musical part not as an element to slow down or over-explain the plot, but rather to provide a new dimension. While the original always had a lot of exaggerated and hilarious drama, the new version takes advantage of that quality with gusto. Thus, the school scenario again turns into a social jungle in which you have to survive.

The meanest girl in school is back

The interesting thing about the film is that it distances itself from any comparisons to its predecessor, directly suggesting that it is a combination of the two. On the one hand, it makes it clear that while it will be telling the same story as 2004, it won’t be doing so with the same approach or taking into account the problems of the previous one. And it works out well. After all, living in the school jungle with cell phones, social media and 21st century fears is a new experience. Bad girls He doesn’t ignore it, but rather structures it brilliantly and well.

But it best achieves its identity by paying more attention to the Broadway musical it adapts than the film on which both are based. As a result, the songs feel organic, necessary, and not just an excuse to advance the plot.. They are not easy to master and are unlikely to become classics. But on screen, they’re funny enough that the story has its own rhythm, makes sense, and easily gets to the heart of what it’s telling. Survive the hallways of a high school.

This combination then creates an exploration of teenage life that is fun because it can easily be applied to any location and any space. Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) plays her new student with empathy and good humor. Still, she can’t beat Lindsay Lohan in the same role if she has a lot of charm and charisma. This awkward girl, suddenly at the center of a social maelstrom, is much more than she seems. The scene of fierce rivalry never outgrows him or overwhelms his figure. Instead, he sets the tone for the character’s transformation with ease.

The girl has just arrived at the moment

But the center of attention, of course, is Regina George. Renee Rapp she plays the queen bee on the teenage social ladder with a mischievous and infectious joy. The actress moves away from the general memory of the character and focuses on her ability to manipulate.

Less cunning than McAdams, Rapp manages to make it seem like the entire college universe is dependent on his group’s gossip. But beyond that, she is a natural leader, larger than life and fiercer than one might expect. In fact, at some points the character seems overly aggressive, but the corresponding direction manages to maintain its vitality without making it unpleasant.

His accomplices Gretchen (Bebe Wood) and clumsy Karen (Avantika), are a delight in absurd jokes and are largely easy to laugh at. However, all three together create an infallible team whose energy fills the entire screen. Finally, Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), becomes an object of desire without much enthusiasm and Perhaps this is one of the weak points of the production.

Pink again, but this time in a different shade.

In 2023 Barbie Greta Gerwig covered the world in brotherly pink, kindness and full of existentialist reflections. Mean Girls also features the same type of girl power, and with almost the exact tone. But the film is more aggressive, furious and crazy. This gives you uncharted territory to explore.

The film is aimed at the Tiktoker generation with cameos from original characters and a soundtrack created especially for the Tiktoker generation. And there’s no doubt he’s working hard to show what this new classic can do for a new generation of girls. The funniest thing about a series that is sure to become a pop culture obsession.