The first 91裸聊视频淢ean Girls,91裸聊视频� that compulsively watchable high-school based social satire by Tina Fey, came out in 2004. The Broadway musical opened in 2018. Now it91裸聊视频檚 2024, and we have a screen adaptation of the theater adaptation. How long will this reconfiguring go on? Is there a limit?
Or 91裸聊视频� does the limit not exist?
Forgive us that utterly blatant setup for one of the original91裸聊视频檚 most famous lines. It91裸聊视频檚 just that some of them are so darned memorable. Like, 91裸聊视频淵ou can91裸聊视频檛 sit here!91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� screeched. Or when Regina, the haughtiest queen bee ever to carry a cafeteria tray, scathingly tells her minion Gretchen, who91裸聊视频檚 trying out her new word 91裸聊视频渇etch,91裸聊视频� to 91裸聊视频淪top trying to make 91裸聊视频榝etch91裸聊视频� happen. It91裸聊视频檚 NOT going to happen!!91裸聊视频�
But even in 91裸聊视频淢ean Girls 17,91裸聊视频� should it come to that, someone will still be trying to make 91裸聊视频渇etch91裸聊视频� happen. And it91裸聊视频檚 actually not a bad word to describe the experience of watching a slick, fizzy bit of entertainment that91裸聊视频檚 occasionally delightful and usually fun, even if the translation to 2024 definitely has its rough spots.
If you91裸聊视频檝e recently re-watched the first film, you may be surprised here at how many lines remain, word for word. What91裸聊视频檚 impressive is how many still work 91裸聊视频� unlike some social comedies that felt right 20 years ago but have scenes that fall with a thud now (see 91裸聊视频淟ove Actually91裸聊视频�).
There are exceptions, though. I91裸聊视频檒l confess to feeling queasy throughout about the 91裸聊视频渄umb girl91裸聊视频� character who remains in the Plastics, Regina91裸聊视频檚 social group. There is, thankfully, no more reference to a coach sleeping with a student, which would not have been funny, even with Jon Hamm as the coach. Slut-shaming has been conspicuously toned down 91裸聊视频� the insult in Regina91裸聊视频檚 famous Burn Book is now 91裸聊视频渃ow91裸聊视频� and not 91裸聊视频渟lut.91裸聊视频�
On the other hand, fat-shaming? That91裸聊视频檚 still there, as when the camera zooms in rudely on the rear end of a character who91裸聊视频檚 gained a few pounds.
As for the casting, some of it works wonderfully, particularly the duo who introduce the film, which is again written by Fey, with music by Jeff Richmond (her husband), and lyrics by Nell Benjamin. Damian, the beloved character described affectionately by Janis as 91裸聊视频渁lmost too gay to function91裸聊视频� (but that91裸聊视频檚 only OK when she says it), and Janis, his best friend, a talented artist whose fallout with Regina left her in the dirt socially, function almost as quasi-narrators.
Jaquel Spivey, of Broadway91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淎 Strange Loop,91裸聊视频� is hilarious and also moving as Damian 91裸聊视频� you wait for each new line, and he wastes none of them. And Auli91裸聊视频檌 Cravalho as Janis has a gorgeous voice and charismatic screen presence. (And a huge song, though from the trailer, you wouldn91裸聊视频檛 know anyone has songs at all.)
Angourie Rice is the new Cady, the Lindsay Lohan role, a home-schooled math whiz who arrives in suburban Chicago straight from Kenya, where her mother was doing zoological research, into the snake pit of high school. Rice is a sweet presence but not as convincing in the 91裸聊视频渂ad Cady91裸聊视频� moments as Lohan.
As for the Plastics, singer Rene茅 Rapp, formerly Regina on Broadway, imbues the role with powerhouse vocals and an angrier edge than the excellent Rachel McAdams did 91裸聊视频� when she91裸聊视频檚 enraged, boy, you feel it.
Once again, Cady begins her first school day in math class with Ms. Norbury, once played by Fey 91裸聊视频� and again by Fey! Tim Meadows is also back as the principal; both look older but certainly not two decades.
Cady has a rough entry and ends up eating lunch in a bathroom stall, but is rescued by Janis and Damian. In the cafeteria, she has her first encounter with Queen Bee Regina. 91裸聊视频淢y name is Regina George,91裸聊视频� sings Rapp, in some of the show91裸聊视频檚 best lyrics, 91裸聊视频淚 am a massive deal. I don91裸聊视频檛 care who you are, I don91裸聊视频檛 care how you feel.91裸聊视频�
The Plastics 91裸聊视频� Regina, needy Gretchen (Bebe Woods) and intellectually challenged Karen (Avantika) 91裸聊视频� adopt Cady and teach her the rules: Wear pink on Wednesdays. No tank tops two days in a row. A ponytail? Once a week. Also: You can91裸聊视频檛 date someone91裸聊视频檚 ex-boyfriend, because those are 91裸聊视频渢he rules of feminism.91裸聊视频� At such moments, one can literally hear Fey writing the line. (Side note: Please come back to the Golden Globes, Tina, and bring Amy Poehler.) (Speaking of Poehler, she is missed as Regina91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渃ool91裸聊视频� mom, but aptly replaced by Busy Philipps.)
Things go south quickly when Cady falls for Regina91裸聊视频檚 ex, Aaron, who sits in front of her in AP Calculus (leading to the excellent lyric 91裸聊视频淐alcu-lust.91裸聊视频�) Regina isn91裸聊视频檛 going to give up Aaron without a dirty fight. So Cady, aided by Damian and Janis, plots to bring Regina down from inside, pretending to be a loyal Plastic.
But at what point does Cady stop pretending and BECOME a Plastic? (Ask Janis.)
Directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. keep the action moving briskly. A key visual difference is technology. In the 2004 film, friends spoke to each other on the telephone, in split screens. Now, of course, gossip and bullying take place via social media. In some ways this makes it all seem more vicious. When Regina takes an embarrassing tumble onstage at the Christmas performance, we witness a social media shaming that is much crueler than anything that happened in the 2004 version.
And yet, it91裸聊视频檚 believable, of course. One comes away from this latest 91裸聊视频淢ean Girls91裸聊视频� thinking that in some ways things may have gotten better for high schoolers than they were in 2004 91裸聊视频� but in other ways, things have only gotten meaner.
91裸聊视频淢ean Girls: The Musical,91裸聊视频� a Paramount Pictures release, has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association 91裸聊视频� for sexual material, strong language, and teen drinking. 91裸聊视频� Running time: 112 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.
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