4K UHD Review: MEAN GIRLS (2024)

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Apr 30 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

The 2024 film Mean Girls is a reimagining of both the original 2004 comedy from writer Tina Fey, as well as the Broadway musical it inspired.

Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) has spent most of her life living in Keyna with her mother, who was there to do academic research. Not wanting her daughter to miss out on the normal high school social experience, Ms. Heron takes a job at Northwestern, and the two move back to the States. Cady (or “Caddy” as everyone seems to call her) quickly discovers that North Shore High School is even fiercer than the jungles of Africa. She befriends outcasts Janis ‘Imi’ike (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian Hubbard (Jaquel Spivey), who take pity on her when they see her eating lunch alone in a bathroom stall. It’s The Plastics—a clique of mean girls headed up by queen bee Regina George (Reneé Rapp)—who really run the school. Janis coined the term “Plastics” for this trio because they are shiny, fake and hard. She and Regina were best friends back in sixth grade, before Regina turned on her, and now Janis is eager to get her revenge. So Janis and Damien encourage Cady to go undercover and join The Plastics, so they can take them down from the inside. Regina’s second-in-command is Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood), who’s a bit insecure and always looking for Regina’s approval. She also holds the knowledge of all of the group’s secrets. And rounding out the trio is dimwitted bimbo Karen Shetty (Avantika), who’s friendly and welcoming, but dumber than a box of rocks.

For some reason Regina and The Plastics take a liking to Cady, and welcome her into their group. They inform her of their strict list of rules about what she is allowed to wear, say and do. Cady had given up on love when she was 13, deciding to focus on becoming a mathematician instead. However, when she lays eyes on Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney) in her AP Calculus class, she’s instantly smitten. The only problem is that Aaron is Regina’s ex-boyfriend, and Gretchen informs Cady that that means he’s off-limits. But, like a selfish little child, as soon as Regina learns that Cady likes Aaron, she suddenly decides to get back together with him. This solidifies Cady’s decision to go all-in on the plan to take down Regina George, and she starts some conniving manipulation games of her own. However, Cady’s newfound power and popularity, and her quest for love, causes her to neglect her true friends, as she starts to become a mean girl herself. Has Cady’s pretending to be a Plastic actually caused her to become one herself, or can she find a way to stay true to herself in this new type of jungle?!

This 2024 version of Mean Girls was actually my first introduction to the franchise—I only checked out the original 2004 film for the first time after watching this hilarious reimaging. While I do love the original movie cast, I have to say that I actually preferred this new musical version. The slightly more modern take, and the musical elements add so much to the film. Social media wasn’t really a thing in 2004 when the first film was released, but now plays a major role in the lives of teenagers, and this is reflected in this new version of the story. The 2024 film also integrates elements from the Broadway musical adaptation of the story. However, this isn’t just a simple port of the songs from the stage musical. The songs hav been given a pop makeover, to take away a bit of that Broadway/musical theater feel, and some brand new songs were also added. The result are some very catchy and entertaining musical numbers with some excellent music, creative and witty lyrics, and some really fun choreography and dance numbers. Each of the songs has its own feel, from pop to rock and several other genres, and each of the main characters is given their own chance to shine. The songs will stick in your head for days.

The cast is wonderful, with each of these young stars not only delivering on the humor, but also belting out some amazing musical performances. Each of these actors felt perfectly cast. From Reneé Rapp as the conniving and manipulative Regina George, to Angourie Rice as the seemingly sweet and innocent Cady Heron, who slowly reveals her darker side. Bebe Wood also does an excellent job of portraying Gretchen Wieners’s insecurity, and Avantika constantly had me laughing out loud with Karen Shetty’s sheer stupidity—some of her one-liners are hilarious. And rounding out the group are Auli’i Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey as the fun outcast duo Janis and Damian, who are bent on taking down Regina.

it’s not just the students that shine in this film, the school is also filled with so many horribly-inept but hilarious teachers who are constantly expressing how they don’t want to be there. There’s principal Mr. Duvall (Tim Meadows), homeroom/Math teacher Ms. Norbury (Tina Fey), Sex Ed teacher Coach Carr (Jon Hamm), French teacher Madame Park (Ashley Park, who originated the role of Gretchen in the stage musical), and English teacher Mr. Rapp (Connor Ratliff). Plus there’s a fun cameo by Lindsay Lohan (who played Cady in the 2004 film) as the Mathletes moderator. Busy Philipps also steals her scenes as Regina’s mother, who is trying to relive her high school glory days through her daughter. Also, whoever cast Jenna Fischer as Cady’s mom is a genius—she and Angourie Rice look like they really could be related.

Mean Girls is a lively and thoroughly-entertaining reimagining of the franchise. And even though this is the third (or fourth, if you count the original novel) version of of the material, it still feels so fresh, fun and relevant.

Paramount Home Entertainment has released the 2024 version of Mean Girls on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital. We were sent the 4K disc for review, and the presentation looks and sounds amazing. The picture is bright and vibrant, with nearly flawless video, and an excellent level of detail throughout. I can’t imagine the film looking any better. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack provides clear dialogue and a fully-immersive experience. The stellar musical performances come alive, and fill the room with joy, excitement and humor.

The 4K release comes with a single 4K disc, which is packed in a standard 4K keepcase along with a cardboard slipcover and an insert with instructions on how to redeem a 4K digital copy of the movie. The 4K disc includes over 30 minutes of bonus material including behind-the-scenes featurettes, an extended scene, a gag reel and a music video. Plus, the option to view the songs/movie in a Sing-Along mode.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:52:13)

4K Ultra HD:

2160p / Widescreen 1.85:1
HDR-10 / Dolby Vision
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Audio Description, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Spain) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin America) 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, French (Canadian) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Italian 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Danish, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), French, French (Canadian), Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish

Digital:

4K Digital Copy redeemable via Apple TV or Vudu (not Movies Anywhere compatible)
Code subject to expiration, may not be valid after 4/30/2026

Extras :

A New Age of Mean Girl (5:47)
The cast and crew discuss reimagining and having fun with the original story, incorporating the more modern world of social media, working with the new cast, the singing and dancing, giving the Broadway songs a pop makeover, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with (“Ms. Norbury”), co-directors Arturo Perez Jr. & Samantha Jayne, producer Lorne Michaels, and stars Angourie Rice (“Cady Heron”), Jaquel Spivey (“Damian Hubbard”), Auli’i Cravalho (“Janis ‘Imi’ike”), Reneé Rapp (“Regina George”), Bebe Wood (“Gretchen Wieners”), Jenna Fischer (“Ms. Heron”), Avantika (“Karen Shetty”), Christopher Briney (“Aaron Samuels”) & Ashley Park (“Madame Park”).
Song and Dance (11:38)
The cast and crew discuss the various songs and what it was like bringing the film’s big musical numbers to life, how the songs changed from the Broadway musical, planning and staging the dance numbers, tech rehearsals, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with writer/producer Tina Fey, co-directors Arturo Perez Jr. & Samantha Jayne, music/executive producer Jeff Richmond, choreographer Kyle Hanagami, and stars Angourie Rice, Auli’i Cravalho, Avantika, Jaquel Spivey, Bebe Wood, Christopher Briney & Reneé Rapp.
The New Plastics (8:13)
The new generation of actresses playing the Plastics talk about their characters, working with one another, and their memories, favorite lines and more from the original film. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with Avantika, Bebe Wood, Angourie Rice & Reneé Rapp.
Extended Scene — I’m Having a Small Get Together at My House (1:18)
Cady puts on an emotional performance to get out of going on a trip with her mother, and then invites Aaron to a party at her house, which turns out to be way more than the 8 people she planned for.
Gag Reel (3:46)
Fun with the cast as they flub and give alternate lines, laugh, and just have fun on set.
Not My Fault — Music Video with Reneé Rapp and Megan Thee Stallion (2:53)
Mean Girls Sing-Along with Select Songs (English Only) (45:15)
Stylized lyrics appear on screen during the film’s musical numbers, with the lyrics highlighted in time with the music. Select from “Play Movie in Sing-Along Mode” (1:52:13) or “Play All Sing-Along Songs” (45:15) to just view the songs back-to-back.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

The 2024 version of Mean Girls is a hilarious, lively, and toe-tapping reimagining of the classic 2004 comedy—one that I thought even surpassed the original, thanks in large part to the added musical elements. While the story is nearly identical, this new version also feels very much its own thing. Paramount’s 4K release looks and sounds amazing, and includes a nice selection of bonus material. I think anyone who enjoys musicals should check this out, and even die-hard fans of the 2004 film should appreciate this new vision of the material. Some may say this movie is very grool, while others may call it fetch, but I just say it’s a blast. If you want to check out this new musical reimagining of Mean Girls before a blind buy, it is currently streaming on both Paramount+ and MGM+.