Mean Girls is a globally famous movie known for its iconic lines and characters that are relevant in pop culture today, so iconic in Y2K culture that it was turned into a broadway musical in 2017. That is when teasers and advertisements for the new Mean Girls movie, a re-enactment of the musical and the original movie, sparked controversy across platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Many people thought this movie would not live up to the original 2004 movie.  

Mean Girls 2024 somewhat stuck to the classic plot but added some subtle changes. For example, when Tina Fey was writing the original Mean Girls movie, she explained that the humor was what she heard in high school at the time. In the new movie, she corrects controversial jokes that are offensive. According to the New York Times’ “Tina Fey on ‘Mean Girls’ Then and Now,” “I was writing in the early 2000s very much based on my experience as a teen in the late ‘80s. It’s come to no surprise that jokes have changed.” 

The fashion in the new movie was highly criticized, as some viewers were upset they did not wear the y2k themed clothing the characters wore in the original movie, instead going for a more modern-day look. Even though Y2k fashion is back in style today, and they could have done a modern spin on it, they decided to link the apparel with fast-fashion. They also modernized the film by including social media referenced scenes like Instagram and Tiktok to have viewers relate to what this generation’s language is about. 

They did not include the iconic four way call scene, kicking the boombox, and many more iconic scenes which disappointed viewers. The new movie has achieved an average 6.3/10 rating according to IMDb. There was some confusion about the movie being a musical since it was not advertised that way in previews. Of course, movies are not all perfect and Mean Girls 2024 did have some flaws but there was some excellent acting done by a few individuals. Renee Rap, making her debut as Regina George, received a great amount of praise from audiences. Many have recognized and adore her from her acting on the original Mean Girls Broadway production in 2019. 

Sarah Kennedy, a San Marcos junior said, “My friends and I thought a remake of a musical of a movie was interesting, but overrated.”

To sum it up, despite all the hype and publicity surrounding the movie, most viewers did not prefer this movie and have been drawing negative reviews from it. Even though it did not live up to the expectations, it is not a movie to miss this year!