Mean Girls 2 (2011)

Number Rolled: 12

Movie Name/Year: Mean Girls 2 (2011)

Genre: Comedy

Length: 96 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Production Companies: Paramount Famous Productions

Production Executive: Peter M. Green

Director: Melanie Mayron

Writer: Allison Schroeder, Elana Lesser, Cliff Ruby

Actors: Meaghan Martin, Donn Lamkin, Linden Ashby, Dan Coleman, Claire Holt, Patrick Johnson, Colin Dennard, Maiara Walsh, Nicole Gale Anderson, Bethany Anne Lind, Jennifer Stone, Tim Meadows, Mike Pniewski, Diego Boneta, Rhoda Griffis, Amber Wallace, Juliet Kim

Jo moves around a lot. As a result, she tries pretty hard not to get involved in the lives of other people in her schools. No boys. No drama. No friends. In her new school, however, she finds it impossible to stand idly by as one of the girls gets mercilessly bullied.

Selina’s Point of View:

Let me give you a hint about what to expect: I saw this film once before and didn’t realize it until halfway through. In other words, Mean Girls 2 was truly forgettable.

It wasn’t a terrible movie; I can’t say I hated it. The actors were fine enough and it was cool seeing Claire Holt (The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Littly Liars, Aquarius), unfortunately the characters lacked any depth at all.

The first Mean Girls (2004) didn’t exactly thrill me either, but I'm not part of the cult following. Yes, it has a cult following. Probably because Tina Fey (30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) managed to show all the characters motivations in a way that made the story line interesting. 

She made the movie memorable.

Without Tina Fey, Paramount should have let this series die.

Cat’s Point of View:

I was really skeptical when we rolled the sequel to Mean Girls (2004). I wasn’t all that crazy about the original. I even procrastinated a bit before I buckled down to watch. Was it saying something that my daughter didn’t want to watch it with me? I even got the ‘ugh no’ expression, when I asked.

We were both so wrong – and now she’s jealous I watched it without her. This movie was surprisingly enjoyable.

An immediate bonus in this film’s favor was that it wasn't a rinse and repeat of the first movie. Tim Meadows (Mean Girls, Jack and Jill, Grown Ups 2) reprised his role as Mr. Duvall. He was the comedic bridge that ties both movies together, without dragging along baggage from the first film.

Meaghan Martin (Awkward, Safelight, Senior Project) was a refreshing protagonist. She rocked the tomboy role and it was interesting to see her on the other end of the spectrum. She had played the ‘mean girl’ antagonist in Camp Rock (2008).

I am increasingly impressed with the range of Claire Holt (Blue Like Jazz, H2O: Just Add Water, The Originals). The characters she has portrayed in her television roles have been serious and emotionally charged. It was fun to see her in the vapid role here.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Diego Boneta (90210, Eden, Underemployed). I fell in love with him in Rock of Ages (2012); one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies. He added some real depth to the role of Tyler. I am really excited in anticipation of the upcoming projects IMDb has listed for him.

Some of the movie was a little over-the-top but it wasn’t out of control. I think there was a nice balance between the comedy and the underlying message. I laughed, I cringed, and I would watch it again.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 32%

Netflix’s Prediction for Selina – 1.2/5

Selina’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 2/5

Netflix’s Prediction for Cat – 2.5/5

Cat’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 4/5

Movie Trailer: