OPINION:
A musical version of ‘Mean Girls’ will likely be a major cultural touchstone. Pixar is re-releasing pandemic-era movies, starting with ‘Soul,’ which revives warnings about spiritual elements for parents. And Netflix debuts ‘Lift,’ an expletive-ridden heist comedy light on redemptive characters.
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Read on to get Plugged In on what’s beyond the movie titles and trailers for faith-filled and family-first reviews from Focus on the Family’s Plugged In.
Mean Girls – In Theaters
When “Mean Girls” first came out in 2004, it was a cultural phenomenon. Perhaps it was the quotability. Perhaps it was the film’s all-star cast (Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Lindsay Lohan and Tina Fey all starred in the original). But maybe, it was just the fact that it epitomized what it was like to deal with mean girls in high school — satirized as that phenomenon was.
If you ask me, this remake — based on the Broadway musical that first premiered in 2018 — has the potential to be another cultural touchstone.
There are some things that got better: this film removed the storyline involving two student-teacher affairs; it changed some of the crueler insults and objectifying statements; and it humanized Regina George, showing that her incessant bullying was a product of her own insecurities.
But there are some things that got worse, too: the LGBT content has been widely amped up in this version; the deeper messages about how adolescents should treat each other were a bit watered down; and honestly, with the exception of Reneé Rapp as Regina George, the acting just wasn’t as strong.
Of course, these subtle differences probably won’t affect most parents’ decisions regarding the suitability of the film. The movie can be quite crass, there’s a lot of foul language, and it hyper-sexualizes teenage girls.
Speaking of which, it’s important for families to note that the actresses portraying these characters aren’t teenagers at all. Most of them, like the original, are in their 20s. And despite the fact that the film takes a body-positive position with more diverse casting and a storyline that highlights insecurities many girls feel, the beautiful women chosen to portray these 16- and 17-year-olds don’t represent what teenagers actually look like. And that can be damaging in and of itself.
So, I’ll conclude with this: if you haven’t allowed your teenager to see the original “Mean Girls,” then you probably shouldn’t allow her to see this remake either. If she has seen it, then you may want to discuss some of the problems noted throughout this review to help her grasp a better understanding of how problematic mean girls — and “Mean Girls” — can be.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
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Lift – Streaming on Netflix
“Lift” isn’t about a British elevator or your friend giving you a ride. It’s an action comedy filled with violence, swearing and sex jokes.
Cyrus and his fellow thieves, should they succeed, will certainly benefit the world. After all, if Lars doesn’t have his gold, then Leviathan doesn’t get paid, and the extremist group won’t commit terrorist attacks that result in the deaths of thousands of people. And that’s certainly a good thing.
But saving lives isn’t a primary concern for this band of misfits. Making money and staying out of jail is. So while saved lives might be an end result of their heist, the story’s protagonists don’t exactly come across as the most noble of people, either.
That said, the bad guys here are far worse. Whereas Cyrus might steal a Van Gogh, Lars and his goons are willing to kill innocents and powerful crime bosses alike. As such, some people will die before the credits roll.
And don’t let that PG-13 rating fool you; “Lift” avoids uses of the f-word by relying frequently on the s-word and other expletives. What’s more, you’ll also have to endure some sex jokes, one of which drags on for some time.
So, while Cyrus and gang might bring a net good to the world if they complete their mission, “Lift” won’t be able to do the same for your living room.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Soul – Re-release In Theaters, Streaming on Disney+
I’ll just say it: A bad Pixar movie is about as common as a Latin-speaking lemming.
It’s not just the studio’s craftsmanship: It’s the storytellers’ ambition. Not content with doling out beautiful ruminations about grief and love and responsibility, Pixar dove directly into the world of emotion and feeling itself with “Inside Out” back in 2015. (Was it really that long ago?) Now, the animation pioneers have moved on from the heart and into the “Soul.”
But while the movie does indeed paint its story using many a spiritual and metaphysical brush, “Soul” isn’t aiming to save anyone’s. It’s far more concerned with this world than the next one, delving into one big question: What makes us tick? Or maybe more fairly, What makes us feel alive?
Neither Joe nor 22 really understand what “life” is, or what it should be. Joe has spent most of his waiting for one big moment, letting so many little ones slip by. No. 22 has never lived at all, and she can’t figure out why she’d even want to. Both characters have, in their own ways, locked themselves into a closet of secure sameness. They need to learn from each other how to use the key.
Certainly, Christian families will want to be aware of the movie’s spiritual elements before deciding to watch; and you should be prepared to talk about the story’s provocative ideas afterward. As noted, the story’s spiritual conceits here have little connection to traditional Christian understandings of these important questions.
Still, “Soul” strives to help us remember that life itself is a blessing, even when it doesn’t go as we planned. It tells us that lives of service can be just as rewarding as lives on stage. It encourages us to look at the world’s humblest things, be it a maple seed or a hunk of pizza crust, as something amazing—perhaps even miraculous in its own right.
“Soul” tells us that life isn’t just a matter of a beating heart, of drawing breath, of shuffling through each second as if we had an eternity of them. Our lives are a gift. And Christians watching this film can take it a step farther: Our lives are a gift from God.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
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Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
Reviews written by Paul Asay, Emily Tsaio and Kennedy Unthank.
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