This musical re-imaging of the cult American teen comedy – just about does enough to differentiate itself from the original film twenty years later.
In fact, if you argued this is on a par with the 2004 movie in its own right, then that would be a fair assessment, because what this loses in sassiness – from the flick that made Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams stars – it makes up with it’s fun and vibrant musical underbelly.
This modern revamp is actually the brainchild of star Tina Fey – who reprises her role of teacher Ms Norbury – as the stage musical is brought to the big-screen with a decently eclectic mix of musical numbers.
Angourie Rice (from TV series Mare of Easttown) takes over the Lohan (who cameos in the movie) role, as the quietly-naïve, home schooled 16-year-old Cady Heron, who has just moved back to America from Kenya with her mother – and is quickly thrust into the bitchy world of high school at North Shore.
Despite befriending outcasts Janis (Auli’i Cravalho, who was the voice of Moana) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), she gets dragged into the popular world of the girly gang known as the ‘Plastics’.
They are led by attractive ‘Queen Bee’ Regina George (Renee Rapp, who has starred in the Broadway musical) – with self-conscious gossiper Gretchen (Bebe Wood) and the bubbly but unintelligent Karen (Avantika) dotingly by her side – who takes Cady under her wing.
But when Cady falls for Regina’s ex-boyfriend Aaron (Christopher Briney) it sets off a chain of events – headlined by betrayal and vengeance – that eventually leads to everyone questioning their insecurities. And to a mixture of (generally) cool foot-tapping numbers, mixed with scripted live-action.
The end result is an amiably efficient blend of the two.
It does lose its flow a bit in the final third, after the dastardly acts (and ‘Burn Book’ reveal) have ran their course – ending up becoming a bit melancholic and generic – but for the most part this is still bright and breezy stuff.
And with its contemporary twist, this new version should definitely appeal to its target teenage demographic to win its own set of fans.
It might not reinvent the wheel – and it's arguable if it was completely necessary – but it does what it intended, with sometimes funky and lightly-comedic aplomb.
But with the musical interludes, it ends up being more Pitch Perfect than the original Mean Girls – which definitely isn’t a nasty thing to say.
Because that’s more than okay.
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ESP Rating: 3.5/5
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Gavin Miller
Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough, Out Now
Cast: Angourie Rice, Renee Rapp, Auli’i Cravalho, Tina Fey, Christopher Briney, Jaquel Spivey, Avantika, Bebe Wood, Jon Hamm, Tim Meadows & Lindsay Lohan
Running Time:Â 1 Hr 52 Mins
Directors:Â Samantha Jane & Arturo Perez Jr
Go to www.showcasecinemas.co.uk for all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Showcase Cinema De Lux