[Review] Mean Girls (3/10)

 

Title - Mean Girls
Production - Paramount Pictures, Broadway Video, Little Stranger
Starring - Angourie Rice, Renee Rapp, Auli'i Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, Avantika, Bebe Wood, Christopher Briney, Jenna Fischer, Busy Philipps, Tina Fey, Tim Meadows, Mahi Alam, John El-Jor, Jon Hamm, Ashley Park, Lindsay Lohan
Writer - Tina Fey, Rosalind Wiseman
Director - Samantha Jayne, Arturo Perez Jr.
Release - 12 January 2024

I understand that movies that are remade are needed to fit into the current times. And I understand that I no longer understand the taste and / or preferences of the youths today.

That said, the things that these characters do were alien to me. Tina Fey and Rosalind Wiseman's writing were dull and derivative. But most importantly, it failed to entertain. Only the third act was a bit of a saving grace, but even then it wasn't that great.

Also, none of the original songs were good, especially the lyrics which were just as bland and trite as its script. Angourie Rice, as far as I know, is a good actor. I've enjoyed watching her in those few times that she popped up in other projects. But her singing voice was a complete lackluster. It wouldn't have been as bad had her vocal prowess not gotten swallowed up by the powerhouses that were Auli'i Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey; both of whom were the backbone of the movie.

They even sounded better than Renee Rapp, who was supposed to be an actual recording artist. Then again, the blame would have to fall more on the weak songs themselves.

The writing nor direction also didn't help Rice in bringing something extra to the movie, since she was the lead. The supporting characters portrayed by Bebe Wood and Avantika were also very ineffective and a pain to witness. 

The third act came together a bit more coherently as the movie tried to teach the kids today about how to be better human beings.

Tina Fey, Jon Hamm and Ahsley Park's participation were unmemorable. Only Busy Philipps seemed to fit into this world. And, it's weird because Tina Fey was in the movie while Philipps wasn't.