After being blindsided by the trailer, it’s no wonder the newest Mean Girls shocked cinema viewers who were just expecting a rehashed version of the original, rather than a film version of the Broadway musical hit. This version misses some moments, like the iconic four-way phone call, and some of the numbers were staged quite strangely, but all-in-all, this film was not that bad. It still captures the core of the original, making the message of being one’s self more clearer, while making some updates to better match its new and younger audience. Mean Girls might still be trying to make fetch happen, but it’s still fun enough to watch, especially with its talented cast.

The cast. Auli’i Cravalho shows a different side, while Jaquel Spivey, Avantika, and Bebe Wood have great introductions in their first Hollywood leading roles, but it’s Reneé Rapp who’s the star here, and the film knows it, giving her the best and most dramatically shot numbers.