It’s been 20 years since the world was introduced to Cady Heron and Regina George and six years after their Broadway debut, they are back on the big screen and more “fetch” than ever. 

As someone who loves the original movie and is a big fan of the musical version, I had high expectations for this adaptation. While I do have some criticisms, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this movie. 

Reneé Rapp stole the show, reprising her role as Regina, whom she played on Broadway in 2019 and 2020. She sang the best and most vocally challenging songs in the movie such as “World Burn” and “Someone Gets Hurt.” 

It was a great choice to cast Rapp in this movie because while she was not in the original Broadway cast, she was a fan-favorite and, in my opinion, born to play Regina George. 

The songs in this movie were originally written to be performed on the stage, but I think they did a great job making the musical numbers fit the screen while also holding on to the campy and somewhat cheesy energy introduced by the Broadway version. 

Unfortunately, 10 songs were cut from the original soundtrack, but I do think the most important ones were in the movie. 

I do wish they would have kept “Whose House Is This,” a rap performed by Kevin G about a house party. It’s so different from traditional Broadway songs, it is a shame it wasn’t included. 

I also think they should have kept “Do This Thing” which is sung during the math competition. Any song that uses calculus as a metaphor for sisterhood is a showstopper in my book. 

The movie also included a song that was not in the Broadway version, “What Ifs” which replaces “It Roars.” The song introduces Cady’s character and shows her journey from Africa to Northshore High. 

Many fans of the Broadway version don’t like this replacement, but I prefer “What Ifs.” It shows Cady as timid and is more suitable for a movie than its theatrical counterpart. 

Many people have criticized this movie over social media for being set in the present day instead of the early 2000s like the original. However, I think updating it makes it more relatable to the new generation. It also allowed space for the actors to make the classic characters their own. 

While I liked most of the casting, I do think they could have done better on the part of Cady. While Angourie Rice played the part well, she clearly couldn’t keep up with the vocally challenging songs. 

Many fans have criticized Rice on social media for her highly autotuned vocals. I would have liked to see someone with a more theatrical voice in the role of Cady, but I suspect they wanted Rapp to be the vocal powerhouse of the movie. 

In addition, Chris Briney, who played Aaron, did not sing at all. I think Briney is a great actor, but they could have cast someone who could sing Aaron’s songs, such as “More is Better.” 

It would be hard to review this movie and not mention its marketing strategy. Other than the music note on the poster, there were very few clues that let people know this movie would be a musical. 

Many people went to the theater expecting a remake but were surprised by the singing and dancing. Much of the criticism of this movie stems from this surprise, rather than audiences truly disliking the movie. 

Overall, I think this was a fun, hilarious movie that paid homage to its predecessors while also new iconic moments. 

How many times will I go to the theater to watch this movie again? The limit does not exist. 

Official Score: 9/10

Categories: Arts & Entertainment