Like many theatrical adaptations of stage musicals, Mean Girls (2024) doesn’t include all the songs from the Broadway version. After all, the musical has a two-and-a-half-hour run time, which wouldn’t translate well into a breezy, snappy film. Directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. had to make some cuts.

Some of the movie’s trims work out. Many of the cut songs are reprises, or numbers that heavily feature protagonist Cady Heron — but Angourie Rice, who plays Cady in the 2024 movie, doesn’t have the voice for those songs. (Case in point: Jaquel Spivey as Damian takes over her soaring, belt-heavy part in “Apex Predator.”) Some of the more fun songs have been cut down — like “Meet the Plastics.” In the movie, it’s just an intro for head mean girl Regina George (Reneé Rapp). But the original version features a unique intro for each member of her clique, which helps solidify their distinct, hilarious personalities. Few of those parings have any real impact on the plot, though.........

© Polygon