When you think about some of the classic movies from the 2000’s, Mean Girls will surely be one of the films that comes to mind. From the iconic lines and comedy, to the underlying themes and plain realism of the high school experience, it has become a beloved movie in the hearts of many. In 2017, the movie even got a musical adaptation, which made its premiere in Washington D.C. before opening on Broadway in 2018. It ran for two years, closing in March 2020 due to the pandemic.

The new Mean Girls film is an adaptation from the Broadway musical and not a remake of the original film, creating confusion as many people didn’t realize that it wasn’t a remake. This confusion occurred when trailers were released for the movie where they played pop songs in the background, without music from the show, causing many to think it was just a reboot. 

When the movie was released on January 12th, fans have been saying that it isn’t as good as the original or the musical from Broadway, but still entertaining to watch if you are simply looking for a fun film. With the return of Tina Fey, who wrote the original screenplay and the script for the musical, the film was bound to have the classic Mean Girls humor and heart. Although the script had the same story and a lot of the same humor, it just didn’t land the same way that the original did. However, fans are able to acknowledge this while still having a good time watching it. 

“I didn’t think it was as good as the musical, but I enjoyed it, and it was a fun watch,” said senior Abbey Sawyer when asked about the movie. 

One of the biggest parts of this movie is, of course, the music. It incorporates 11 songs from the original soundtrack in the film, while adding 2 original songs. Fans of the musical were upset over rumors that numerous songs were cut from the film, as the Brodway soundtrack had a total of 21 tracks. This didn’t chase many people away, as many of the fan-favorite tracks were not cut, so musical fans still looked forward to it. 

However, there is still criticism surrounding the soundtrack, as many fans were disappointed that the music was not the same as the Broadway show. They changed many of the songs to sound like pop songs, which made some songs sound great, and others, not so much. Many of the fans of the show wanted the songs to sound like the tracks from Broadway, however many of the base music and rhythm had been changed to sound more like pop songs, much to the annoyance of many people. 

Not all fans of Mean Girls are the same though, and there are still many fans who love the new movie. It’s still the same story, and uses the music from the Broadway show, which sometimes is all fans need to enjoy the movie, even if some things are changed.

“I loved it so much! It was all of my dreams come true in one movie!” exclaimed freshman Ezra Grehan when asked about his opinions on the new movie. 

This movie, even with its flaws, is an enjoyable and humorous film. It’s not a perfect adaptation, and if you don’t think too much about all the differences from the original, it is still a good, fun movie for viewers to enjoy.