After living in Africa with her zoologist parents, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) must brave the wilds of high school where she is taken under the wing of the popular girls, The Plastics, led by the cool and cruel Regina George (Rachel McAdams). What follows is a treasure trove of sharp, witty humor that defined a generation and inspired countless catchphrases, a hit Broadway musical, and a new twist on the tale in 2024. Co-Starring and written by Tina Fey, and featuring Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Franzese, and Amy Poehler, MEAN GIRLS is nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon and an iconic classic.

For thoughts on Mean Girls (2004), please check out my piece on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/wBAjM2neS4g?si=p_ttEYhJNaNkJtgd&t=457]

Video Quality

Mean Girls (2004) makes its eagerly anticipated 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with a lovely 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer that easily bests the previous Blu-Ray release. That Paramount release from 2009 was decent for the time, but standards have risen quite a bit in the interim. The film has finally been given the remaster it deserves and served up on 4K UHD. While still not 100% perfect, it serves as a tremendous upgrade from the previous DVD-era master.

This new 4K UHD Blu-Ray retains most of the natural film grain which allows much more texture and detail within the transfer. You can easily see more distinct aspects of the production design or within the articles of clothing on display. The clarity of the transfer brings forth a greater amount of facial detail, and thanks to this the performers appear more textured and natural than ever before. This transfer does have some scenes that are either naturally soft or have been hit with a bit of DNR which robs the film of its organic appearance. This is far from the most egregious application we have seen from the company, and most will probably be able to overlook it altogether.

The implementation of Dolby Vision in this presentation amplifies this one to glorious new heights. One thing we have always appreciated about this film is the deliberately warm lighting that adds so much character to the proceedings. Many colorful environments deliver more nuance than ever before. From the natural vegetation to iconic articles of clothing, hues radiate off the screen. The picture maintains a strong amount of detail in shadowy environments. Black levels exercise a much greater depth and control than the anemic-looking Blu-Ray release. Highlights are also more in control and vibrant without veering into blooming. Any potential print damage has been eliminated for a clean and consistent viewing experience. This transfer is a great improvement for fans who have been waiting too long for this release.

Audio Quality

Paramount Home Entertainment brings us this 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix that was previously found on the Blu-Ray release. While it may not get a major upgrade, it does everything it needs to do quite well. From the opening moments, the voiceover narration along with a slew of other sounds brings nuanced life to the speakers. The movie features a buoyant score along with an array of tunes that sound great within the mix.

Dialogue holds up quite nicely, coming through clearly without being drowned out by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated effectively and given precise placement throughout the speakers. The film is not action-oriented, but the low end gets to show off when it comes to the music and key kinetic conformations. This film could potentially be opened up quite nicely with a Dolby Atmos track, but there are no major complaints about what we have.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Mark Waters, Screenplay Writer and Actress Tina Fey, and Producer Lorne Michaels provide a commentary track with some nifty information about the performers on set, the motivations behind certain creative decisions, the book the film was adapted from, and a lot more that is well worth a listen.

Mean Girls – Class Of ‘04: A new eight-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team behind Mean Girls (2024) reflect upon the legacy of the original film, the timeless messages, and more.

Featurettes

- Only The Strong Survive: A 25-minute featurette is provided in which the cast and creative team discuss the lives of teenage girls, bringing this story to the big screen, details about the characters, and more.

- The Politics of Girl World: An 11-minute look at the concept of self-image, the hopeful ideal coming out of this film, and more.

- Plastic Fashion: A nearly 11-minute look at how fashion in the film informs the narrative and reveals layers to the characters.

Word Vomit: A nearly six-minute collection of flubbed lines, laughing fits, goofing around, and more.

So Fetch – Deleted Scenes: There are nine unused scenes totaling seven minutes provided here with optional audio commentary from Mark Waters and Tina Fey. There are some amusing moments in here, but you can understand why they were cut for pacing.

Interstitials: Three brief promos totaling a minute and a half are provided.

Theatrical Trailer: A two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Mean Girls (2004) is one of the key comedies for millennials, but it has a humor that can apply to any generation who appreciates cutting satire and fearless jokes. Some throwaway lines have not aged the best, but this movie still offers nearly nonstop laughs to complement the important message that it is driving home. The cast is downright flawless with outstanding comedic timing. Even after years and years of constantly quoted lines, this makes us laugh just as much as ever. Paramount Home Entertainment has released a terrific new 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a formidable A/V presentation and a decent array of new and archival special features. If you have been waiting for this movie to get a worthy release, the time has come. Highly Recommended

Mean Girls (2004) will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital on April 30, 2024.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.