FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE REVIEW: “Mean Girls” stars Lindsay Lohan (Herbie Fully Loaded, The Parent Trap [1998]), Rachel McAdams (Doctor Strange, The Time Traveler’s Wife), Tina Fey (30 Rock [TV series], Sisters), Tim Meadows (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, The Ladies Man), Amy Poehler (Inside Out [2015], Parks and Recreation [TV series]), Ana Gasteyer (What Women Want, Suburgatory [TV series]), Lacey Chabert (Party of Five [TV series], The Wild Thornberrys [TV series]), Lizzy Chaplan (Cloverfield, The Interview), Daniel Franzese (I Spit on Your Grave, War of the World [2005]), Neil Flynn (The Middle [TV series], Scrubs [TV series]), Jonathan Bennett (Van Wilder: Freshman Year, Cheaper by the Dozen 2), Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!, Les Miserables [2012]), and Rajiv Surendra (System Crash, Fast Food High). It was directed by Mark Waters (Freaky Friday [2003], The Spiderwick Chronicles), while the screenplay was written by Tina Fey. Cady Heron (Lohan), formerly homeschooled her whole life, starts her first day at a public high school. While trying to fit in, Cady falls into the trap of the plastics, a group of girls who place themselves above everyone else and are worshipped for their popularity. What was at first a good opportunity to get into a friend group turns deadly, as Cady begins to change for the worse.

If there is one film that is brought into conversation more so than any other on my college campus, it’s “Mean Girls.” Why that is, I have no clue. I’ve never seen it, so I was bound to be pulled into watching it at some point; and that point was last night. I knew that this movie is regarded as a classic amongst teens and young adults. It depicts high school life in a realistic way while hammering in a moral for all to take from at the end of the flick. Yes, the message was rather obvious halfway through the story, but the adventure to get there was still entertaining. Tina Fey composed a script that is both relatable and enjoyable, blending reality and comedy to produce a feature that’ll make audiences reminisce or quote on. It has that timeless feel to it; one that I could’ve seen myself watching many times throughout my latter half of childhood. It’s essentially an edgier Disney movie without the company vibe. If you are into those kind of movies, you’ll enjoy this. I’m not sure if it’ll retain its quality the older people get (without nostalgia involved), but at least for the time being people in my demographic can have fun with it. So, what makes “Mean Girls” good? I think the encompassing pro is how it is wholesome in a non-wholesome atmosphere. The story is concrete, with solid performances and a structure that is easy to watch and take lessons from. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s easy to relate for anyone in or fresh out of high school, so with that added perspective the message becomes less difficult to warm up to. That’s not to say it’s a bad moral; I’m merely saying that it comes as no surprise. Trying to fit in with the jerks at high school will eventually transform you into someone you won’t like. We know this, though the story is fun enough to power through. I laughed quite a bit. The characters were, for the most part, fun, and everyone had their share of the humor. I never knew I would review a Lindsay Lohan feature any time soon, but she did a really good job. She embodied her character and made for a cool anti-hero/hero (she made a few flips). Rachel McAdams was in this, as well as Tina Fey, Amanda Seyfried, Amy Poehler, and Tim Meadows (those are the famous people who come to mind). They all did good for their parts and I laughed at them all equally, aside from Fey, who played a more straight role. Aside from performances and characters, the direction was solid as well. There wasn’t too much uniqueness or flavor to the cinematography, but there were certain moments I found to be a nice touch, like having many scenes of high schoolers acting like animals. It’s these details that breathe more life into the story than there actually is. All in all, “Mean Girls” is a well-made, warm film with a broken premise. I didn’t find it to be exceptional or great, but it was really good and surprisingly entertaining. What falters for me in this release is its lack of boldness. Sure, some of the jokes were risqué, but overall the story is fairly predictable, especially the message. It doesn’t place itself separate from other flicks as I have seen a few that share similar qualities. That doesn’t mean that this one doesn’t offer anything original or good. As I’ve stated, it’s funny and entertaining for what it is. It’s also well-shot and has a wholesome feel. While I didn’t see it as a cinematic masterpiece or genius work of cinema, it gave me enjoyment and scenes I’ll remember. That’s a win in my book. FINAL SCORE: 82%= Juicy Popcorn

Here is the trailer: