Tina Fey’s screenplay is a master class on fickle friendships, popularity, and how to manipulate both friends and enemies. But is this as her biting iconic cultural touchstone? Fey wrote the original teen angst film inspired by the antics in the non-fiction book, “Queen Bees and Wannabes, Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence.” It went from dramedy, to Broadway musical and, now, its third iteration as a musical for the big screen.
The songs by Jeff Richmond with Lyrics by Neil Benjamin get the job done but not memorable enough to hum when its over. Directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez, Jr. throw everything they can into this film, and several follow shots during music numbers through school halls get way too busy.
The original film, set in a northern suburban Chicago high school, had plenty of personalities to work with, but this one adds major production numbers interrupted with all the bells and whistles of social media. It’s rampant with TikTok viral videos, texts, and photos, shares, messages, used to broadcast more meanness. But we thought those flew by so fast, they were too quick to digest.
The original film, starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel MacAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Lacy Chabert, with Fey as the math teacher is a classic. In this production Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) is the new girl from Kenya where her mother (Jenna Fischer) had been doing research, then decided it was time for her daughter to get a dose of American education and social life.
Wide-eyed and innocent, Cody gets clued right away to who’s cool and who’s not by a very talented duo. Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jacquel Spivey) are not considered cool. But these two actors are talented stand outs. Janis gets to show her amazing talent with the best song from the film, “I’d Rather Be Me.” And Spivey gives an amazing performance. Together, they keep the story and this movie moving. Janis and Damian are both considered outcasts, but they take pity on Cady, clueing her in on the cliques.
Regina George (Renée Rapp) takes notice of new girl, Cady, as a new target to manipulate. that’s Regina’s specialty. She’s the leader of the cool threesome known as “the Plastics,” which includes besties, Karen Sheets (Avantika), Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood). Karen comes off as the dumbest kid in school, and Gretchen is Miss Insecurity. Both hang on Regina’s every word and when she brings out the burn book to make Cady add her meanness to the Plastics’ judgements in writing on others behind their backs, which eventually comes to light threatening to ruin everything.
Renée Rapp’s big song, “World Burn,” is another big production number with long follow shots through the crowded halls of the school. There are so many dancers jumping around, it’s messy and hard to follow any discernible choreography. Rapp did Regina on Broadway. She’s pretty and talented, but her superpower is her self-confidence and superior attitude, reminscent of singer/athletic performer, Pink. She’s a bad ass but still not as despicable nor as effective MacAdams was in the original film.
Cady and Regina’s mutual love interest, Aaron (Christopher Briney), puts these new buddies in conflict. Cady was smitten the first time she saw Aaron in Calculus class, which changed when she abruptly found out he was Regina’s ex. Cady’s a math whiz but hides it for attention from her crush.
Tim Meadows reprises his role as the now older Principal. And John Hamm shows up as the dimwitted coach and ill-informed sex ed teacher. Regina’s Mom (Busy Philips) is a also piece of work. She calls herself the “cool” Mom, who jumps way over-the-top to fulfill all of Regina’s demands. These characters seem to be more window-dressing without much purpose. But there is one great cameo that is a perfectly timed surprise.
This story still delivers a teen message about about being cruel, which leads to forgiveness and reconciliation through song and dance. The themes hold up with laughs along the way. Talented, tuneful , sometimes clever and cliquey, this production has some fun moments, but it’s just not as edgy or well put together, as the biting and classic original.
Paramount Pictures 1 hour 52 minutes. PG-13
