66
Metascore
39 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumA vinegary fable with a Splenda aftertaste -- is a harbinger of hope not only for future feminist comedies of any grit but also for ''SNL''-staffed feature films that don't disproportionately suck.
- 75Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittThe screenplay by Tina Fey -- head writer for "Saturday Night Live" -- is marvelously smart, though, and the ensemble cast is uncannily in sync with it.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttResults in an edgy comedy, where laughs stem at times from uncomfortable situations. In other words, Mean Girls lives up to its title.
- 70VarietyDavid RooneyVarietyDavid RooneyThis sassy if wildly uneven comedy navigates the treacherous high school jungle that separates cool cliques from wannabes, wading through some nasty behavior before delivering its moral message.
- 70Village VoiceJessica WinterVillage VoiceJessica WinterDirector Waters and screenwriter Tina Fey (also cast as the voice-of-reason math teacher) aim less for the usual high-gloss caricature than acutely hilarious sociology, nailing the servile malice of 15-year-old girls.
- 70The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe film lacks the discipline to stay on point all the time, but Fey and director Mark S. Waters (Freaky Friday) have fun with offbeat throwaway touches.
- 70Dallas ObserverGregory WeinkaufDallas ObserverGregory WeinkaufBellyflops into the increasingly complicated American high school experience with a healthy reservoir of wit.
- 63ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliThe limp climax doesn't undo the solid humor, wicked social commentary, and delicious satire that precedes it, but it leaves an unpleasant aftertaste. In the end, Mean Girls isn't mean enough.
- 60L.A. WeeklyElla TaylorL.A. WeeklyElla TaylorLohan is a warm and engaging presence, but she's completely outshone by the bad girls, and when they're offscreen, Mean Girls is an oddly restrained, barely plotted movie.
- 50Charlotte ObserverLawrence ToppmanCharlotte ObserverLawrence ToppmanBeyond the philosophizing, Mean Girls is a standard collection of low comic jokes.