House Party 3

New Line Cinema, 1994

Starring Christopher "Kid" Reid, Christopher "Play" Martin, Bernie Mac, and Angela Means

Directed by Eric Meza

Music and Lyrics by various

We return to the rapping world of our other pair of best buddies, Kid n' Play, to kick off Black History Month. The first two House Party movies were some of the biggest hits of the early 90's. A third go-around was likely inevitable, but by the time this one rolled out in early 1994, the music industry had changed considerably. Rap and rock gained a harder edge in the mid-90's than the upbeat comic routines Kid n' Play favored, with the wild candy-colored prints of earlier in the decade replaced by grungy plaids, flatter hair, and less riotous colors. How does this work with the story of Kid's impending wedding and his last big bachelor party? Let's begin with Kid (Reid) dreaming about marrying his fiancee Veda (Means) and find out...

The Story: Kid's nerves about his wedding aren't offset by having to babysit his three cousins (rap group Immature) for the weekend or deal with his senile Aunt Lucy (Ketty Lester). Meanwhile, Play is supposed to bring the female rappers Sex as a Weapon (TLC) to big-time promoter Showboat (Michael Colyar), but they bail out for another manager. He's also trying to set up Kid's bachelor party at a local ballroom, but Immature move it to Aunt Lucy's house in order to put the focus on them. Kid's old girlfriend Sydney (Tisha Campbell) is also in town, which makes Veda very jealous. When the party at the ballroom is a bust and his Uncle Vester (Mac) calls him about the wild party at his aunt's house, Kid decides that he and Play need to make one last stand, before Showboat and his hit women do any damage. 

The Song and Dance: Glad to see Kid and Play have somewhat more time together here after being apart for a lot of House Party 2. They work best when they're playing off each other. Mac shows off the motormouth and verbal dexterity that would eventually earn him his own sitcom later in the 90's. I was a fan of TLC as a teenager, and it's great to see them here, even if they don't have that much to do. I also wish we saw more of Lester. She has some very funny moments as Aunt Lucy, who is a lot less senile than her nephews think she is. 

Favorite Number: We open in Kid's dream with his talking about how his ladies "Bounce." Immature tries to give Play their "Wakes You Up," but he just thinks they're kids. Kid n' Play also get "Two Fingers" and "Make Noize." Hip-hop duo MOP asks "How About Some Hardcore?" while Sylk Smoov wants to "Drop Down." R.A.S Posse get to "Rock This House," while AMG delivers the closest thing this movie got to a hit, "Butt Booty Naked." To da Core perform "We Got It Goin' On" at the actual party, while Nerissa sings "The Cure" and Kid n' Play do "Void" and bring us into the "Here and Now." 

Trivia: Film debuts of Chris Tucker and Angela Means.

What I Don't Like: This one shares a lot of the same problems as the previous films. First of all, after trying so hard to sign them, would it have hurt to let TLC do a number? They were hugely popular in the mid-90's. Immature lives up to their names by being as annoying for viewers as they are for the characters. It's pretty obvious David Edwards as Kid's cousin Stinky was meant to be a replacement for their friend Bial, but he's no Martin Lawrence (who had graduated to his own sitcom by this point). The movie starts slow, with not much of anything besides talk and rapping happening until Immature switch the party venue in the second half. And yeah, there's still the dated portrayal of the film's female characters and marriage in general. 

The Big Finale: While it's generally regarded as the worst of the original three 90's House Party movies, it's still worth a look for fans of the series or 90's rap and R&B. 

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming, often for under $10. 

DVD

DVD - 4 Film Favorites: House Party

Amazon Prime

Swiss Miss

MGM/Hal Roach, 1938

Starring Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Walter Woolf King, and Della Lind

Directed by John G. Blystone

Music by Paul Chiang; Lyrics by Arthur Quenzer

This week, we warm up the winter with two very different comedies featuring best buddies. By 1938, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were popular enough to star exclusively in feature-length movies. This is one of the few outright musicals they did after their switch to features. It was also their last appearance as the comic relief in an operetta, and the second-to-last Laurel & Hardy movie Roach released under his MGM contract. How does the story of two mouse trap salesmen who get caught between a feuding composer and his singer wife look now? Let's begin with Edward (Eric Blore), the fussy assistant of opera composer Victor Albert (King), as he demands that the hotel owner (Jean De Briac) give his master absolutely quiet, and find out...

The Story: Albert is at the hotel to write an opera that will stand on its own without his diva wife Anna (Lind) performing. Meanwhile, Stan (Laurel) and Oliver (Hardy) are mouse trap salesmen who are trying to sell their wares. After they're tricked by a cheese seller (Charles Judels) who gives them a phony cash note, they end up washing dishes when they try to spend it. 

Anna gets a job as a maid at the same hotel, hoping to prove to her husband that she can have the common touch, too, enough for his show. She flirts with Ollie and the cook at the hotel (Adia Kuznetzoff), hoping to make Victor jealous. At the least, she does make Ollie fall in love with her. Even though the cook threatens them, they still take Anna to the big Festival in town. Anna has plans of her own...and so does the gorilla who chased them in the Alps. 

The Song and Dance: Laurel and Hardy get some really cute gags in this one. Their attempt to push a piano across the Alps and over a precarious wooden bridge is more-or-less repeated from their Oscar-winning short "The Music Box," and it's almost as funny here. Love how Stan gets drunk, and Ollie almost ends up falling through the bridge. Blore also gets some good moments as the annoying assistant who is totally devoted to his employer's well-being. Love the sets and costumes recreating a fanciful Switzerland between the wars, with its charming chalet hotel and typical Alpine lederhosen-and-dirndl costumes. 

Favorite Number: We open with "Yo-Ho-Dee-O-Lay-Hee" as we're introduced to both the hotel staff and the reason Victor wants quiet. Victor's inspired by the sound of a cricket chirping in his room to write the sprightly "The Cricket Song." Anna finishes the song when she arrives, to Victor's annoyance. Stan and Ollie explain in "The Mouse Trap Song" why the cheese shop owner needs mouse traps in his establishment. "I Can't Get Over the Alps" is King and Blore's comic number with the locals as they reveal why they can't switch hotel rooms. Ollie croons an adorable "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" to serenade Anna under her bedroom window while Stan accompanies him on the tuba. Anna (who makes a much better brunette than she does a blonde) poses as a gypsy while singing the firey "Could You Say No?" and shaking her tambourine to all the handsome men.

Two of the movie's best numbers are instrumental comic pieces. Frustrated over the destruction of his piano, Victor practices his music on the hotel organ, which Ollie has just washed. As he plays his song, animated bubbles bobble over to Stan and Ollie; when they pop them, the notes blare out. The chorus get a big native Swiss dance routine in the square under Victor's balcony during the Festival, culminating in a local man (Franz Hug) doing some damn amazing flag twirling. 

Trivia: Hug demonstrated his prowess during the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

Charles Gamora, who played the gorilla, also played an ape in the Laurel and Hardy short "The Chimp." 

This would be the most expensive Laurel and Hardy film, budgeted at twice as much as their shorts. 

What I Don't Like: I really feel sorry for Ollie in particular. Neither Anna nor Victor were the most pleasant people; she used both men and the cook in the end, and never got punished for her rather obnoxious behavior. No wonder her husband wanted to get away from her. He was no saint, either. All he did the entire movie was whine about how he wanted peace and quiet - in a summer resort in the Alps? The music he tried so hard to write is negligible, and in the case of "I Want to Get Over the Alps," kind of dumb. (And I know a Laurel and Hardy movie is the wrong place for logic, but...what in the heck is a gorilla doing in the Swiss Alps?)

The Big Finale: Not one of Laurel and Hardy's best features. Enjoyable enough for their fans, but newcomers and casual viewers looking for better musicals featuring the duo will want to start with March of the Toy Soldiers or The Bohemian Girl first. 

Home Media: Not currently on DVD in the US, but it can be found on streaming, including for free at Flex and YouTube.

Flex

YouTube

Animation Celebration Saturday - Arlo the Alligator Boy

Netflix, 2021

Voices of Michael J. Woodard, Mary Lambert, Haley Tju, and Johnathan Van Ness

Directed by Ryan Crego

Music by Alex Geringas; Lyrics by Ryan Crego

Let's return to the here and now for this charming animated musical. Netflix had its first animated TV show out in 2013, but it didn't start making animated features until 2019. This would be their fourth, and the second animated musical. How does the rousing story of the title character going to New York to find his father look a few years later? Let's begin with how baby Arlo (Woodard) came to live in the swamp with Edmee (Annie Potts) and find out...

The Story: Arlo feels out of place in the swamp with the animals who don't walk and talk. On his fifteenth birthday, Edmee reveals how he was abandoned in a New York sewer. Arlo is determined to go there and find his birth father and a place he'll fit in. He finds the latter when he first encounters Bertie (Lambert), a sweet, enormous teen girl, while trying to dodge a pair of alligator hunters who want him to be their star attraction. He and Bertie eventually fall in with a unique group at a wrestling club that includes a little Italian rodent-like man (Tony Hale), a huge pink fluffball (Van Ness), and a teenage tigress (Tju). They agree to take Arlo to New York, since they're looking for their fish friend (Brett Gelman). 

Arlo's father is Ansel (Vincent Rodriguez III), a wealthy real estate tycoon who wants to tear down the seaside neighborhood and build skyscrapers. Arlo is devastated when Ansel refuses to admit their relationship, and feels even worse when he tries to change him, then rejects him. He learns who his true friends are when they help him crash the Met Gala to prove once and all, to his father and New York, that families come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes, the best families are the ones we create for ourselves.

The Animation: The sketchy 2D animation, with its pie-eyed characters reminiscent of shorts from the early 30's, gives it a very distinct and sweet flavor. It's awash in earthy tones like brown, green, and tan, making Arlo and his literally colorful friends pop all the more. They're Technicolor critters in a down-to-earth setting. 

The Song and Dance: This was such a sweet movie. The said characters are some of the most unique I've ever seen in a children's film, including Lambert's oversized dear of a teenaged girl, Van Ness as they androgynous pink furball, and Haley Tju as Alia the tough teen tigress. That animation gives a lift to the well-meaning plot. There's also the diverse cast, and not just the unusual character designs. Bertie and Alia the tigress are strong females (literally, in Bertie's case) and there's the non-gendered fluffball and fish who hates children. 

Favorite Number: We open with frogs doing Busby Berkeley routines in the swamp around Arlo as he sings about how he wants "More, More, More"  out of life. Potts sings "Happy Birthday to Ya" as she reveals Arlo's history. " Bertie and Arlo ride the roof of a train as Bertie admits she wants him to "Follow Me Home." We get "New York, My Home" and "Right There With You" from Arlo's new friends. His father sings of a "Better Life" where he'll be able to escape everything that reminds him of his past, including Arlo and the seashore. The montage of a dejected Arlo wandering through New York to "Collage of Broken Dreams" after his rejection flows into his hope to "Wash the Hurt Away." Arlo and Ansel realize "Something's Missing" after Ansel rescues him at the Gala, while Bertie reminds him that they're "Beautiful Together." 

Trivia: This was the pilot movie for what became a one-season animated series on Netflix.

What I Don't Like: Did I mention that cliched plot? It's nothing you haven't seen in dozens of films, both live action and animation. The subplot with the alligator hunters and their "beast" gets silly and annoying after a while, even if it does give Ansel a way to reconnect with his son in the end. The 2D animation looks so good, the rare bit of CGI used for the vehicles and the opening "More, More, More" stands out as glaringly obvious.

The Big Finale: Sweet and unique, Arlo's journey and his hilarious friends is worth checking out for the animation and characters alone.

Home Media: Netflix exclusive at the moment. 

Netflix

Wild Wild Winter

Universal, 1966

Starring Gary Clarke, Chris Noel, Steve Franken, and Don Edwards

Directed by Lennie Wenrib

Music and Lyrics by various

This is the last of the four Beach Party-style musicals with winter backdrops. By the time Wild Wild Winter made it out for the 1966 ski season, the Beach Party wave had crested. This one comes closer to the originals, in subject matter and comedic tone. Is it just as much fun as the American International entries, or should it be buried in the snow? Let's begin as a narrator extols the virtues of Alpine College and find out...

The Story:  Fraternity brothers Burt (Don Edmonds), Perry (Les Brown Jr.), and Larry (Paul Geary) want to date women from a popular sorority, but it's led by Susan Benchley (Noel), the dean's secretary. Susan has encouraged the ladies to be very choosy about dates. Desperate, they call Ronnie Duke (Clarke), a surfer who has the reputation for dating many women at once. They want him to seduce Susan into letting the girls date again. 

Donnie claims to be a champion skier and the son of a millionaire to impress her. Not only is Susan delighted, but so is Dean Carlton (James Wellman). Carlton needs to come up with three million dollars in back payment by January 31st, or he'll lose Alpine College to gangsters. In an attempt to get the funds off Donnie, he makes him the captain of the ski team. The actual captain and Susan's fiancee, whiny John (Franken), becomes determined to discredit Donnie. When he can't get past him in a skiing race, he calls a private eye (Buck Holland) to find out what his game really is. Donnie's just hoping he can win that money in the big Intercollegiate Skiing Tournament.

The Song and Dance: Along with Ski Party, this is by far the funniest of the four winter resort musicals. There's some fairly cute gags here, especially with what finally gets Donnie to that big race in the end. Clarke a little smarmy, but has enough charm that you can understand why so many girls fall for him. I also like that, with the exception of two very brief scenes at a beach, this movie makes more use of its snowy setting than most of the other winter party musicals. The whole thing hinges on two ski races. There's also far less romance than in the other resort musicals. This one is purely about Clarke, his attempts to show off, and gorgeous Technicolor scenery filmed at a real Lake Tahoe resort.

Favorite Number: We open over the credits with the title song, which mostly consists of the words "snow, snow, wow!" and skiers riding over the mountains...and sometimes falling into it. Our first actual number is on the beach, but Jackie Miller and Gayle Caldwell still sing about how their love is gonna "Snowball." The Beau Brummels get so into their number at the resort, "Just You Wait and See," Donnie regards it as his thinking music and apparently had the group perform it four times. The Astronauts provide Donnie's thinking music after John takes his place with Susan as they describe "A Change of Heart." Duo Dick and Dee Dee sing the uptempo ballad "Heartbeats" after Donnie wins the ski race against John. Jay and the Americans finish things off with "Two of a Kind" as the backdrop to the chorus number in the finale as everyone celebrates saving the college.

What I Don't Like: The script is flimsy and annoying, even by 60's drive-in musical standards. The college subplot is basically "save the school" crossed with "gangster plot from Comden-Green musicals of the 40's and 50's." The boys' attempts to lie their way into the girls' hearts is dated, annoying, and a bit distasteful nowadays. Even the girls and Susan call them on it. Speaking of, Susan is really the only girl we see much of. The other two turn up mainly in the beginning and end and have very little to do. There's so much focus on comedy and Clarke's slightly sleazy attempts to impress Susan, there isn't much room for anyone else's romance. All of the boys are so interchangable and bland, I don't know how any of the girls can tell them apart anyway. 

The Big Finale: Despite some cute gags, this is by far my least-favorite of the four winter resort drive-in musicals. Only if you're a huge fan of 60's drive-in fodder, musicals of the 50's and 60's, or the cast. 

Home Media: As the most obscure of the four winter resort musicals, the only place you can currently find this one is YouTube.

YouTube

Get Yourself a College Girl

MGM, 1964

Starring Mary Ann Mobley, Chris Noel, Joan O'Brien, and Chad Everett

Directed by Sidney Miller

Music and Lyrics by various

This week, we hit the slopes with a pair of drive-in musicals from the early 60's that showcased teens having fun at winter resorts. MGM jumped into the Beach Party pool with this entry, adding former Miss America Mobley and some genuine major musical acts to the story of a female songwriter whose college career is threatened when the heads of the school learns what she writes is rock. How does all this look now? Let's begin with a ballet class at Wyndham College for Women and find out...

The Story: Teresa "Terry" Taylor (Mobley) is furious when her publisher Gary Underwood (Everett) calls the school and exposes her as a songwriter. The school's board of trustees, including Senator Hubert Morrison (Willard Waterman), are shocked at a woman singing so frankly about sexual matters. Terry promises that she and her best friend Sue Ann Mobley (Noel) won't even consider boys while they're on their Christmas break ski vacation. They even bring along their ballet teacher Marge Endicott (O'Brien) as a chaperone.

Of course, that lasts for approximately two days once they arrive at Sun Valley, Idaho. Gary is also at the resort with his French friend Armand (Fabrizio Mioni), and they're determined to win the girls and figure out why Terry rejects men when she writes so well about sex and get her to pose for a sexy painting. Morrison is down for vacation, too, trying to figure out these young people. After he and Terry get caught in a compromising photo, Terry, Gary, and the others gather rock acts for a big political rally to prove that Morrison is more "hip" to the young than everyone thought.

The Song and Dance: I give them credit for a shred of originality. None of the other beach party films end with a political rally, and none of them praise feminism quite this fervently. In fact, it's interesting to hear the women discuss their rights (or lack of them) nearly a full decade before women's liberation became a household word. Mobley is spunky and charming as Terry, who just wants to make it in college on her own terms, and Waterman and Noel have some good moments as the Senator who wonders how this young lady learned so much about sexual matters and the giggly blonde who wants a guy, any guy, no matter what her friend thinks. 

Favorite Number: We open with "The Swinging Set," the film's original title, performed over the credits by Donnie Brooks. The ballet class gives us our first instrumental number as they trade pirouettes for the Watusi and gyrate to something less formal in class. Mobley herself sings and plays the actual title song with its lyrics discussing girls and their relationship to sexual matters at Wyndham's Christmas dance. Jazz songwriter Stan Getz gave the movie its big hit, the sweet and sexy "The Girl from Ipanema," performed by deep-voiced, low-key Astrud Gilberto. The Rhythm Masters give us another dance routine at Sun Valley, "Beat Street Rag."

Popular British Invasion band The Dave Clark Five performs two numbers, "Whenever You're Around" at the school dance and "Thinking of You, Baby" at the rally. Likewise, the original Animals also do "Blue Feeling" early and "Around and Around" at the rally. The Jimmy Smith Trio get "Comin' Home Johnny" and the instrumental dance routine "The Sermon" at Sun Valley. The Standells get two of their major hits at the masquerade party, "Bonie Maronie" and "The Swim." Freddie Bell and Roberta Lynn join the Bellboys for "Talkin' 'Bout Love."

Trivia: First film for Mary Ann Mobley and last for Joan O'Brien. 

Filmed on location at Sun Valley, Idaho. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, while the running gag with Terry's married friend Lynne, played by Nancy Sinatra, spending the vacation with her new husband in their hotel room is funny, Sinatra really could have been given more to do...like actually singing. Though this has its comic moments, it's not quite as spoofy or joke-a-minute as the Beach Party films. Frankly, the political rally in the end is kind of sudden and makes very little sense. I wish they'd figured out how to resolve all this back at Sun Valley. They didn't need to return to the school. They barely even mention how Terry finally manages to stay at the college.

The Big Finale: One of the better Beach Party imitations is worth checking out for fans of the stars in question, the genre, or 60's rock and jazz. 

Home Media: Unfortunately, this is also one of the harder-to-find Beach Party imitations. The Warner Archives DVD is currently out of print and unavailable, but at press time, there is a copy streaming for free on the Internet Archive, and you might be able to find the DVD used.

DVD

Internet Archive

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Return of the King (1980)

ABC/Rankin-Bass, 1980

Voices of Orson Bean, John Huston, Theodore Bikel, and Roddy McDowell

Directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr.

Music by Maury Laws; Lyrics by Jules Bass

After the success of The Hobbit, Rankin-Bass set about making a sequel. Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings debuted in 1978 as Rankin-Bass prepared storyboards for their film and proved that there was ample interest in the material. How well did they do adapting the final Lord of the Ring novel to animation? Let's begin as Frodo (Bean) explains to his uncle Bilbo (Bean) what happened with him getting rid of the Ring of Power that led to him losing his finger and find out...

The Story: Frodo and his friend Samwise Gamgee (McDowell) are charged with traveling to Mordor to destroy the Ring of Power that Bilbo once stole from little green frog-like monster Gollum (Brother Theodore). Sam first must rescue Frodo from the Orcs at Cirith Ungol. Sam's briefly tempted by the Ring, but he does manage to get Frodo away. They disguise themselves in Orc armor to infiltrate their army and get past to Mount Doom. They're first attacked by Gollum, who badly wants his "precious" back, and then Frodo seems to go crazy with the strain of being the Ring Bearer.

Meanwhile, their friend Pippin (Sonny Melendrez) warns Gandalf (Huston) about the impending invasion of the Orc army. Pippin tries to warn King of Rohan Denethor (William Conrad), but he's already gone mad. The Witch-King of Agmar (John Stephenson) and his forces seem to have the upper hand in battle after he slays King Theoden (Don Messik). What he never expected is for his boast that no man can kill him to be challenged by Eowyn (Nellie Bellflower), who is "no man," and then for the king of Middle Earth, Aragorn (Theodore Bikel), to return at last.

The Animation: Decent for them, especially at Mordor as Gollum, Sam, and Frodo fight for the ring and in some of the battle scenes. The end, with the White Ship riding off into the horizon, and the arrival of Aragon also manage to drum up the appropriate majesty. The bleak, earthy color scheme reminds us that this is no Christmas special and definitely gives the sense of Middle Earth's dark worlds. 

The Song and Dance: Rankin-Bass really went all-out with this one. There's a few career-best performances from voice actors who are known for lighter material. Kasem does well with Merry's heartbreak at the loss of Theoden and how he ends up helping Eowyn, Conrad makes the most of his brief role as the mad king Denethor, and Bean and McDowell beautifully portray how the two young Hobbits get caught up in the ring's temptations. Messick shows why he played so many Hanna Barbara characters over the years by making The Voice of Sauron and Theoden two entirely different personalities with different voices. 

Favorite Number: We open with the Minstrel (Glenn Yarborough) explaining "The Ballad of Frodo" and what ultimately transpired that ended with the loss of Frodo's finger. The booming choral number "Wearer of the Ring" is heard three times, notably in the beginning where Sam is tempted by the ring's power, and in the end, when Frodo has seemingly succumbed to it. Sam finally breaks himself of the ring's hold by reminding himself that "Less Is More," and he prefers the simple life. The chorus briefly warn "Beware the Power," then admonish that "It's So Easy Not to Try" when they follow the Orc Army. 

The Orcs treat all their slaves, including Hobbitts, the same, as they remind them "Where There's a Whip, There's a Way." The hobbits wish they were at home and imagine what'll happen "'Till Yesterday." "Standing Underneath the Towers" and "Return of the King" are the big chorus numbers at the battle before and during Aragon's return. The title number shows  how he finally defeats the Orcs and reclaims his throne. The film ends with the haunting "You Will Never Say Goodbye" as the remaining three Hobbits watch the White Ship carrying Erond (Paul Frees), Gandalf, Bilbo, and Frodo over the horizon.

What I Don't Like: Yeah, this has a lot of the same problems as its predecessors The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. There's just too much story (and too much in the stories that isn't exactly family-friendly) to compress into an hour-and-a-half animated film. A ton was dropped to make this more accessible at the time, including most of the first half of the book. You don't really feel Sam and Frodo's friendship like you should, or care who kills the Witch-King or know who Aragon even is. Bikel barely appears in the last 20 minutes and doesn't have enough to do; Bellflower doesn't give Eowyn nearly the passion she needs. 

The Big Finale: Older elementary schoolers who are too young for the live-action movies but are still fans of fantasy may be intrigued by this earlier and slightly more kid-friendly visit to Middle Earth.

Home Media: Currently hard to find and pricey on DVD. Your best bet is to check used venues and look for uploads online.

DVD

Internet Archive

Mean Girls: The Musical (2024)

Paramount, 2024

Starring Angourie Rice, Renee Rapp, Auli'i Cravalho, and Jaquel Spivey

Directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr.

Music by Jeff Richmond; Lyrics by Nell Benjamin

This one actually began in 2002 with the parenting book Queen Bees and Wannabees. It detailed how teen girls form cliques and how to deal with aggressive behavior. Tiny Fey saw the book and thought it would make an interesting teen movie about a girl who was homeschooled overseas and suddenly found herself thrown into a world more feral than anything she encountered in the wild. Mean Girls with the then-wildly-popular teen actress Lindsay Lohen debuted in 2004 and became not only a blockbuster, but a much-loved touchstone among teens who grew up in that era. It became a Broadway musical in 2018, and probably would have run longer than two years if the pandemic hadn't hit. 

The film version was announced in 2020, shortly after the Broadway show closed. It's been a hit all over again since its debut last Friday. How does the story of one girl dealing with the ins and outs of modern high school cliques look nowadays? Let's begin as North Shore High students Janis Imi'ke (Cravalaho) and Damien Hubbard (Spivey) relate "A Cautionary Tale" as they film their garage rock act for Tik Tok and find out...

The Story: Cady Heron (Rice) is newly arrived at North Shore from Kenya, where her mother (Jenna Fischer) did zoological research. She was homeschooled for most of her life and never had to deal with things like cliques or school rules. Damien and Janis warn her to stay away from what they call "The Plastics." Insecure Gretchen (Bebe Wood), silly Karen Shetty (Avantika), and controlling "queen bee" Regina George (Rapp) rule the school with pink-frosted iron fingernails, but Cady is fascinated by them. 

After they invite her to sit with them, Janis suggests Cady reports on everything they say in order for Janis to get back at Regina for humiliating her in middle school. Cady is reluctant at first, but she goes all in after Regina steals Aaron Samuels (Christopher Briney), the boy she has a crush on, at a Halloween party. They do manage to dethrone Regina after an incident at the Christmas talent show, but Cady finds she enjoys the power a little too much and takes Regina's position as "queen bee." Damien and Janis aren't quite so amused, especially after she blows off their art show to have a wild party. 

Regina seeks her own revenge by throwing the "burn book" she and her friends made with insults about most of the girls at school, including one Cady wrote in anger about her math teacher Ms. Norbury (Tina Fey), into the hall. The insults turn the girls against each other, and everyone against Cady. Cady's reluctant to take a stand, until she realizes what their hurtful words have done to their teacher, their fellow students, and each other. Cady finally discovers that love is a lot less controllable than a math equation, and that the best thing anyone can be is themselves.

The Song and Dance: The thing I most like about this one is the updates to bring this teen parable into the here and now. The obnoxious and dated racial stereotypes of the original film were replaced by a far more diverse and eclectic cast. (And at least they specified that Cady was from Kenya, and not just the random "Africa.") Some critics claim this has less bite than the original. I think the kids' constantly filming everything and sharing it online actually adds more, giving the film a dimension of online bullying that was only just starting to exist when the first film came out. 

Cravalho and Rapp dance off with the movie as the tough art student who wants revenge in all the wrong ways and the controlling alpha female who will do anything to stay head of the pack. Wood has one of the most heartbreaking songs in the entire film as Regina's lackey who would do anything for her, and Spivey is adorable as Janis' sweet gay guy pal. Meadows and Fey get a few good moments reprising their roles from the original film as the math teacher who gets caught up in the girls' scheming and the principal who wonders when his school turned into a jungle. 

Favorite Number: Janis and Damian open with their garage rock Tik Tok number in a literal garage as they relate "A Cautionary Tale." Cady sings about "What ifs" while dreaming of normal high school in Kenya. It becomes a wild chorus number when she arrives at North Shore and finds the fast-moving student body to be more feral than anything in Africa. "Meet the Plastics" is Regina's introduction to her and her friends as they reveal the ways they rule the school. Cady admits that she's "Stupid With Love" as the kids sing along with her in calculus. Janis and Damian claim Regina is an "Apex Predator" who destroys anything in her path. This plays out with Gretchen's heartbreaking "What's Wrong With Me?" when she wonders why Regina has rejected her in favor of Cady.

At the Halloween party, Karen and most of the students claim you have to dress "Sexy," or you're just not cool. Regina warns away anyone who would defy her, before "Someone Gets Hurt." Janis, Damian, and Cady imagine their plot to be a candy-colored "Revenge Party," with everyone dancing in the halls at Regina's dethroning. Damien's attempt at the theme from the Nickelodeon show iCarly comes off kind of goofy, while "Kevin G's Rap" offends the principal. The Plastics' "Rockin' Around the Pole" in the famous brief Santa costumes starts well, until they all fall out of step and Cady is the only one left standing.

Regina, angry and confused over Cady's betrayal, decides that she would rather let the "World Burn" than let go of her throne. Janis, however, admits during the session with all the junior girls Ms. Nordbury calls after school that "I'd Rather Be Me" than be a copy of someone else. Cady finally realizes that every person is beautiful in their own unique way, and that it's better to give support than shove someone down. "I See Stars," she says as she tosses pieces of the prom queen crown to every girl in the audience, including Janis and her girlfriend and the Plastics.

Trivia: Rapp was in the original Broadway cast. 

Look for Lindsay Lohen in a cameo as the head of the Math Tournament.

While the Broadway version closed in 2020, the touring show has been out since 2019, and it's scheduled to open at London's Savoy Theatre in June. 

What I Don't Like: In many ways, this is a rehash of the original film with a more racially sensitive cast and cell phones. Some shots are word-for-word and barely change a thing. In other ways, there's a lot of changes, and not just the race lifts and music. Cady and Regina both had fathers in the original film. They're not mentioned at all here. Coach Carr (Jon Hamm) originally warned everyone in his sex ed classes away from sex, while having sex with his female students on the side. I'm surprised they got away with that in 2004, and they certainly wouldn't do it now. 

Not all of the performances land. Avantika is adorable, but doesn't come off quite shallow enough to make us believe this doe-eyed beauty would follow Regina around. Rice is a wonderful singer, but her Cady is far too dull to be a queen bee or a wannabe, or even someone Janis and Damian would ask to get revenge on the first two. She certainly won't make anyone forget Lohen's star-making performance. Briney is basically there as window dressing. And they apparently cut a lot of songs from the original Broadway show, including an ensemble number at the party, a duet for Cady and Aaron after he finds out she's been lying, a number at the Math Tournament, and one for Cady and the other Plastics.

The Big Finale: Like the heroine of this movie, I'm going to come clean. I never even saw the first film until I watched it after I got home from the movies today. I was an adult when it came out, and not really interested in teen movies. That said, maybe because I don't have that nostalgia and background with the original film, I really ended up enjoying this one. The cast is just as good, the music is decent, and the story works even better with the updating. Give these queen bees and wannabees a shot if you need something fun and uplifting to check out during these dark days of winter.

Home Media: Currently available for pre-order on Amazon. 

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