We asked Wakeland students which new movie they were most excited to see out of Anyone But You, Wonka, and Mean Girls. These were the results: 21/109 were most excited to see Wonka, 43/109 voted for Anyone But You, and 45/109 were looking forward to Mean Girls.

Mean Girls originally came out in 2004, and it was recently recreated to be a reflection of the modern high school experience. The movie was shrouded in controversy surrounding the fact that it’s a musical, which led many people to negatively react. The movie was meant to be a film adaptation of the Broadway musical version. However, we felt the film failed to encompass many aspects that made the musical popular.

In comparison to the original Broadway version, starring Taylor Louderman, we felt that the movie lacked energy. Many people thought the remake would relate to the film rather than the Broadway musical. Despite the drastic difference between the two, one person who we believe deserves an honorable mention is Renee Rapps, for playing the role of Regina George. She also starred as Regina in the Broadway version from 2019 to 2020. The original Mean Girls Musical helped boost Rapps’ popularity, so it was only fitting for her to be part of the new movie.

The new Mean Girls movie can also be perceived as a bold move, considering the high risk of making the movie both modernized and a musical. From how the characters are portrayed as present-day students, to using modern slang, the movie exaggerates our generation’s lifestyle of social media and humor. With all of these factors taken into consideration, we were disappointed by the movie, but it is definitely worth seeing to form your own opinion.