Mean Girls 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		0.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Mean Girls 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released the popular 2004 film 'Mean Girls,' directed by Mark Waters and starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Amanda Seyfried, Amy Poehler, and Tim Meadows, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. Rather than remix for Dolby Atmos, Paramount has simply included the existing Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the original 2009 Blu-ray. All of the legacy extras carry over, and Paramount has also included one new retrospective featurette. There are currently no alternate packaging options for this UHD release.

Mean Girls 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

I don't see this new 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD release of Mean Girls turning heads or finding its way onto the list of "best catalogue UHD releases of 2024," but it is a very solid, very good image from Paramount that offers a stout enough upgrade over the previously issued 1080p Blu-ray from 2009. The first thing most will notice here is the even, and light, grain structure which solidifies the film-based elements and offers a nice foundation upon which the UHD builds its wares, making for a fine home for sharp and accurate details that are well bolstered over the previous Blu-ray. Indeed, overall clarity and image stability are notably improved here compared to the old Blu-ray, finding far sharper and far more organic qualities and characteristics to faces, clothes, and any number of elements seen in various locations, from the high-end appointments in Regina's home to the more worn and textured locations in school classrooms, the cafeteria, and the gym. This is a stable, usually stout, and generally very watchable and likable transfer for its overall look and consistent film quality presentation.

The Dolby Vision color grading carries over the film's naturally warm look, not amplifying it but certainly not shying away from it, either. Skin tones have a mildly orange/red look to them, as does much of the image. Colors are bold and bright though somewhat heavily saturated with amplified contrast to crank up the warm appearance. Still, there's a nice sense of overall vividness to clothes in particular but some other elements as well, like natural greens and the bricks outside the school, for instance. Black levels are fine if not mildly pushing to very slight crush in a few instances. Whites are not super bold, maintaining a slight sense of creaminess. Overall, the Dolby Vision grading satisfies within the film's intended look.

Further, I noted no print wear or flaws and no obvious encode issues. This is a solid all-around UHD catalogue release from Paramount.

Mean Girls 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For this UHD release of Mean Girls, Paramount has simply brought over the existing Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. For a full audio review, please click here.

Mean Girls 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This new UHD release of Mean Girls contains the same supplements from the original 2009 Blu-ray while also adding a new retrospective featurette. A list of all the extras can be found below, and the new extra is briefly reviewed. For reviews of the remainder of the carryover content, please click here. No Blu-ray disc included; this is a UHD-only release. This issue does ship with a digital copy code, an alternate artwork slipcover, and a pink UHD Amaray case.

• Audio Commentary: Director Mark Waters, Screenplay Writer and Actress Tina Fey, and Producer Lorne Michaels.
• NEW! Mean Girls: Class of '04 (1080p, 8:09): A new retrospective which looks back at the original film within the prism of the new film. New cast and crew explore their thoughts on the original, its place in its generation, its messaging, and the original's timelessness.
• Featurettes (1080p):
  
  
  • Only the Strong Survive (24:50).
  • The Politics of Girl World (10:32).
  • Plastic Fashion (10:23).
• Word Vomit (1080p, 5:42).
• So Fetch -- Deleted Scenes (1080p): With optional commentary by Director Mark Waters and Screenplay Writer & Actress Tina Fey.
  
  
  • Damain Rigs Table (Deleted) (0:31).
  • 112, Excellent! (Deleted) (1:11).
  • Mom's Underwear (Deleted) (0:40).
  • Shoe Shopping (Extended) (0:29).
  • Tonight I'll Like It (Deleted) (0:22).
  • Eaten by Cannibals (Alternate) (0:44).
  • Regina in Bed (Deleted) (0:49).
  • Norbury's Car explodes (Extended) (0:32).
  • Cady and Regina in the Bathroom (Deleted) (1:35).
• Interstitials (1080p):
  
  
  • Frenemies (0:32).
  • New Girl (0:32).
  • PSA (0:31).
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:32).

Mean Girls 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mean Girls remains something of a classic in the high school "Dramedy" genre, and it has certainly aged gracefully enough, making one wonder why the remake/re-imagining was even necessary. Paramount has done well by the film's long awaited UHD release, offering an impressive new 2160p/Doby Vision video presentation. The UHD includes the legacy 5.1 lossless soundtrack and carries over all of the legacy extras while adding a new retrospective featurette. Recommended.