Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Mean Girls Blu-ray Movie Review

Should Blu-ray fans pull out the plastic for a copy of 'Mean Girls?'

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 28, 2009

All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you.

Is Mean Girls the Heathers for a new generation? It would seem so, though the comparisons end before the whole "shoot your classmates" and "blow up the school" plot lines of Michael Lehmann's and Daniel Waters' 1988 Black Comedy classic, or at least they stop there in the literal definition of the terms. Despite the differing scenarios, the tone is essentially the same in each film. "Heathers" have been replaced by "Plastics," a more modern and perhaps even more polarizing version of the classic "glamorous girl" clique that seems to get under everyone's skin simply through their very presence. Walking down the hall in tandem or sharing the same lunch table, in coordinated outfits and colors, of course, sets them apart as something mysterious and oddly desirable, their group one everyone dreams of being a part of but could never join, if for no other reason than for the stability of whatever moral compass they may possess, wayward as it may already be. Each film sees a pretty but misunderstood girl enter school and find herself torn between allying with the group that accepts her as she is or sacrificing her very essence to join the in-crowd. Both Mean Girls and Heathers arrive at the same conclusion, though they take drastically differing paths within what is basically the same setting and structure.

They so should have painted these stalls a different color.

15-year-old Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan, I Know Who Killed Me) is the new girl at school -- and the new girl to school. She's been home schooled her entire life, having been raised by her parents deep in the heart of Africa. She quickly comes to realize that life in a typical American high school is a jungle, where survival of the fittest takes on a whole new meaning as she discovers a world of separation and hatred, where every clique is distinct but equal in their dislike of anything -- and anyone -- not as they are. Cady finds herself lumped in with a pair of friends, one boy and one girl, who despise the school's hottest clique, the "Plastics." Rich, snobby, and popular, the Plastics rule the school -- until Cady and her friends decide to tear them apart from within. Cady finds herself the newest member of the Plastics by day and their saboteur by night, but will life in the school's upper class turn her on her genuine friends and tear the school apart?

A viewing of Mean Girls raises the question, "just who are the true mean girls?" Here is a film where the title characters aren't readily identifiable. Audiences are led to believe that it's the "Plastics" who are the "mean girls," at least during the film's opening act, but which group truly brings about all the trouble at school? Is it the clique with the glamorous trio of girls that coordinate their clothes, sit together at lunch, and generally keep their bad-mouthing and gossiping amongst themselves? Is it Cady and her crew that do their best to tear the clique apart? Or is it everyone, each girl in school, that is somehow and some way "mean" to themselves or to one another? There is no clear-cut answer, and if there was, the smart money would be on the latter choice of the list, for it seems that nobody at school is free of the label. Regardless of who is guilty or who innocent, who is mean or who is nice, Mean Girls offers a morality lesson along the way, as force-fed as it may be into the story. It offers several lessons, really, amongst them the inherent wrongs in superficially judging others and spreading rumors and gossip behind people's backs. It also delves into the downside of stepping in front of a bus and, perhaps most importantly, that some things just never change.

It should come as no surprise that Mean Girls is directed by Mark Waters (The Spiderwick Chronicles), brother of Heathers Writer/Director Daniel Waters. Mark Waters captures the zany yet dangerous world of modern High School to both humorous and chilling effect. It seems no coincidence that Cady is, in essence, a product of the rough-and-tumble animal kingdom where survival of the fittest and only the most basic of instincts rule the day. Waters depicts high school life as a jungle all its own, where predators, prey, and plenty of insignificant creatures roam about in hopes of lasting one more day, where the pecking order begins and ends at the very top. Past the morality of the film, the questions it raises, and the world it examines is an easygoing, interesting, fast-paced, witty, and fun movie. Waters balances the seriousness and levity of the film with precision, never letting one supersede the other. At his disposal and making it happen is a collection of actors that both embrace and devour their roles. Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams make the most of their characters; the confrontation between the two plays naturally and with an engrossing fervor as they do all they can to squash the life the other has built. They are surrounded by a strong supporting cast with Tim Meadows delivering a fine performance as the school's principal.

Mean Girls Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mean Girls arrives on Blu-ray with a decent-looking 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. This film sports that now-standard looking Comedy look to it with warm and vibrant colors. It's a solid transfer overall, one that isn't necessarily demo-worthy, but does make for slightly better-than-average high definition material. Visible levels of detail are adequate; whether in the high-dollar clothes worn by the girls, facial details and textures, or the many objects scattered about classrooms, cafeterias, mall boutiques, or bedrooms, viewers will find plenty of information to absorb. The transfer sees some heavy noise over the open, but is otherwise mostly clear and pleasant. Flesh tones are slightly reddish in appearance and blacks are stable and dark. Mean Girls is another one of those transfers that looks just fine in high definition, but won't overly impress those that have seen dozens of other Blu-ray titles.

Mean Girls Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mean Girls' Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack is just fine for what it is, which is a front-heavy and completely generic mix. The film is primarily dialogue-driven and features only the occasional burst of sound, generally coming from the film's pop-rock soundtrack. The music is clear and loud, flowing effortlessly from the front channels with the support of the subwoofer on several occasions to drive home the beats. A party sequence in chapter twelve is about as active and immersive as this one gets, with the soundstage filled nicely with the loud music. Dialogue reproduction is uniformly strong. Mean Girls makes for a bland listen, but there is nothing inherently wrong with the soundtrack; it simply reproduces all it has to offer with satisfactory results.

Mean Girls Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mean Girls comes to Blu-ray with several bonus features. First up is a commentary track with Director Mark Waters, Screenplay Writer and Actress Tina Fey, and Producer Lorne Michaels. This track is fairly standard, the trio sharing basic information on the filmmaking techniques, the locations, actors, the book on which it is based (Queen Bees and Wannabes), and more. Only the Strong Survive (480p, 24:52) looks at the life of teenage girls and how each character fits into the world of American high schools. The Politics of Girl World (480p, 10:33) examines the importance of self-image to high school girls and the problems that plague campuses. Plastic Fashion (480p, 10:25) takes a look at the importance of costuming to the film. Word Vomit (480p, 5:44) is a series of outtakes. So Fetch - Deleted Scenes (480p, 7:01) is a series of nine excised scenes with optional commentary from Mark Waters and Tina Fey. Interstitials (480p, 1:39) are a trio of brief promo pieces for the film. Concluding the special features is the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:35).

Mean Girls Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mean Girls and Heathers have more in common than meets the eye. While Mean Girls sees no gun play and bombs strapped to one's chest, the film does indeed show the very real and very damaging destructive power of all the high school faux-pas it rails against. They are in many ways the same film, with Mean Girls updated for a new generation and featuring far less in the way of subtle dark humor and manipulation in getting its point across. It's more glamorous, more inviting, but not quite as powerful or poignant as Heathers, but it's still a timely film that is also well-made and rather fun to watch. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Mean Girls should please both newcomers and longtime fans. The disc features a good high definition transfer, a bland but accurate soundtrack, and several worthwhile extras. Recommended.