Lord Liberty

Fun. Creative. An entertaining film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The movie blends what made the 2004 film iconic with the Broadway version’s twists very well. The directors managed to make their debut film visually pleasing, although some questionable choices were made. Reneé Rapp obviously stole the show in every scene she was in. A more aggressive and terrifying Regina than Rachel McAdams’, she made this character her own with her brilliant portrayal. Auliʻi Cravalho and Jaquel Spivey were showstoppers with their amazing singing and acting. Avantika and Bebe Wood worked very well with the roles they were given. The weakest link of the cast (which I’m sure many people agree) is Angourie Rice as Cady who definitely struggles vocally compared to the rest of the cast. However, I think she portrayed Cady as an innocent, awkward, socially inexperienced homeschooled kid very well. I personally did not mind her singing when accompanied with the movie visuals. The visuals, choreography and directing choices were the highlights for me. Listening to the soundtrack, I was a bit concerned with how low energy many of the songs sounded. However, I can safely say that the visuals were AMAZING and made the songs work within the context of the movie. “Someone Gets Hurt” and “World Burn” would not have worked alone without the stunning visuals and creative directing choices. Of course, Angourie’s questionable close up shot during her solo in “Revenge Party” was a sore spot. Overall, I came out of the cinema feeling better than I was before walking in. A fun experience with amazing music and visuals, I suggest fans of comedy or musicals to check out this new adaptation of an already iconic film/musical.