Get in, loser, we’re watching the new movie “Mean Girls.”

“Mean Girls” is one of those movies that is so deeply ingrained in our movie culture that it’s hard to imagine pop culture without its iconic quotes. It was all the more challenging for Tina Fey to write a new film that didn’t simply copy the old film, but cleverly brought the old story into the present day. At the same time, it should be a tribute to the old film.

It is important to know in advance that the new ‘Mean Girls’ film is not based on the old film from 2004, but on the musical, which has been on show since 2017, including on Broadway. A production that is probably less known here. And: This “Mean Girls” movie is a musical.

However, the story remains the same: Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) tries to adjust to her new life in the US, amid cliques and gossip. With her new friends Janis (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel Spivey), Cady devises a plan to ruin the lives of Regina George (Reneé Rapp) and her colleagues Gretchen (Bebe Wood) and Karen (Avantika). But things spiral out of control when Cady herself falls for the lure of pink power games, especially as she and Regina compete for the attention of the popular Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney).

Teen culture has changed dramatically since 2004, with Gen Z more focused on inclusivity and acceptance than any previous generation. Therefore, some of the more problematic aspects of the script have been removed. But the Plastics lose some of their power because the film is actually supposed to portray the evil of teenage girls who are as ruthless as the African steppe.

In the age of smartphones, evil has reached a whole new level. Trends happen on social media, when something happens everyone immediately takes out their cell phone. Videos go viral, news spreads like wildfire.

This causes new problems, including with the Burn Book, in which the Plastics write nasty things about their classmates. Because this content is now also shared online, to which everyone can add their own bit. Smartphones are ubiquitous in “Mean Girls” and are often depicted in an exaggerated manner.

Regina is the The girl par excellence. She sets trends. She determines what is popular at the moment. Regina’s appearance is all the more disappointing. The pink corset top that only consisted of her iconic pink outfit, seems like a mix between Zara and Shein and will unfortunately no longer determine fashion trends in 2024.

Janis is the opposite of Regina: she is an outsider and wears strange clothes. But the problem here is that her clothes are almost too fashionable. Although she emphasizes several times that she made her jacket herself, the costume designers missed the opportunity to further emphasize her character through her clothing. Home-knit sweaters, long skirts and one or two special pieces of jewelry had made her look perfect. Instead, she wears ripped jeans and colorful makeup.

“Mean Girls” made Amanda Seyfried a star and Lacey Chabert a meme template. But in this musical adaptation, Karen and Gretchen are almost forgotten. Many of their best quotes were cut from the film, leaving them sidelined. The performances of Avantika and Wood are also often exaggerated and not very believable.

The real star is Renée Rapp. She brings the right amount of confidence to play the nasty and manipulative Queen Bee. For the singer, who has achieved great success in the queer community, this film could be the ticket to Hollywood.

Auli’i Cravalho (known from “Moana”), who plays Regina’s rival, also gives a very authentic performance and sings at the top of her lungs in her solos. Janis also finally gets the ending she deserves.

The story “Mean Girls” tells is timeless and could probably be remade every few decades with a modern twist. That’s exactly why there wasn’t really a need for a remake. The message of the story remains the same and still carries weight twenty years later. In any case, the songs provide a breath of fresh air.

“Mean Girls” fans can look forward to many references to the original film cleverly incorporated into the story. It’s a remake that obviously doesn’t come close to the original – but did we really expect anything different?

Gretchen, stop trying to make retrieval happen!

“Mean Girls” can be seen in German-language Swiss cinemas from January 25.