Kicking off the year with a bang, “Mean Girls” hit theaters on January 12, bringing plenty of excitement to fans of both the original 2004 movie. Renee Rapp, a fan favorite, reprised her role as Regina George in the remake of “Mean Girls” movie and the Broadway production, where she starred alongside Sabrina Carpenter. Many online reviews suggest that as long as you don’t compare it to the original — and enjoy musicals — it’s a good watch.
Another highly anticipated sequel film hit theaters: “Dune: Part 2.” Released on March 1, this movie featured an ensemble of star-studded talent, including Timothée Chalamet, Austin Butler, and Zenday. Junior Skye Johnson said, “I thought it was really good. It was really long, and I liked that it wasn’t rushed and paid lots of attention to detail.” The different “parts” together form one continuous story, with a 3rd installment on the way to resolve the cliffhanger ending.
Audiences were treated to another highly anticipated sequel “Inside Out 2” released on June 14. This film quickly became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time! Many have noted that the filmmakers waited for the original audience to grow up so they could relate to the new themes in the sequel. Junior Keilly Santos said, “I liked the new emotions, and I liked how it dealt with anxiety because it’s more relatable and uses actual struggles.” Unlike the first film the roles of Disgust and Fear have different voice actors; Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling did not return to reprise their roles due to salary disputes.
The focus shifted to a different kind of audience with the release of “Deadpool and Wolverine.” Starring Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, this film offered a comedic and action-packed experience with the clash of 2 embittered superheroes. Junior Sara McGill commented, “It was OK; I didn’t understand some of the references, but it was still a good movie.”
“Beetlejuice-Beetlejuice” also catered to adults fan of nostalgic horror-comedy. Starring Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, along with Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, and Catherine O’Hara, this film was released on September 6. Junior Carly Gorman remarked, “It was bad because it was trying too hard to be in this era when it didn’t need to be; it also had very little screen time for Beetlejuice.” Despite the mixed reviews, the movie still aimed to capture the original’s charm and excitement.
