After watching Netflix’s ‘The Kissing Booth’ last year, I was wondering what the story in the sequel could possibly be. How Elle and Noah will handle the serious long-distance relationship? Will Elle and Lee end up being a romantic couple or stays the best friend like they are?
So, I finished watching Netflix’s ‘The Kissing Booth 2’ today, and here is my thought about the movie.
The Kissing Booth 2 Review:
Netflix continued to bring more romantic comedies, and ‘The Kissing Booth’ last year was liked by the audience hugely. It scored big in terms of viewership, though the critical appreciation wasn’t that good.
The IMDB rating of the film is only 6.0.
The team returns with the sequel of the high school teen romance drama. The story continues with Elle (Joey King) officially in a romantic relationship with the high school heartthrob Noah (Jacob Elordi). He is headed off to Harvard after spending a blissful summer together.
We are introduced to two new faces in the subplot, Marco (Taylor Zakhar Perez), Elle’s new classmate, and Chloe (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) Noah college friend. As all say, it’s tough to maintain a long-distance relationship.
The Kissing Booth 2 is pretty much focusing on Elle’s distant relationship with Noah and the typical teen girl love issues.
Lee (Joel Courtney) is no longer just the best friend of Elle, but he is now dating Rachel (Meganne Young). Lee is stuck between his best friend and his beloved.
Since Noah is gone, Elle feels alone and spends much of her time being with Lee like always, but that a thing Rachel doesn’t want. Lee loves both so much that he couldn’t prioritize between the two important persons of his life. He couldn’t let Rachel go. Neither can he stay apart from Elle.
The character of Lee remained important in the sequel but involved more in developing the subplot.
The 132 minutes of the film is filled with a lot of elements; there is the intact friendship between Elle and Lee, a budding friendship between Elle and Marco, issues of trust in a relationship, and heartbreak.
I felt both the characters Chloe and Marco interesting and compelling to watch. Both have added spice and newness in the stale storyline.
Marco has made an impression with his charm, personality, and good looks, on the other hand, young Chloe, with her natural aura and elegance has nailed her presence.
In ‘The Kissing Booth’ I enjoyed watching the solid friendship of Elle and Lee, but in the sequel, there are more dramatic occurrences, and the fun element is missing.
The film starts on a good note, but it slows down with a lot of bizarre conventional teen drama.
There are moments of brilliance in the film, like the dance competition where both Marco and Elle looked graceful together. All the fun moments whenever Elle and Lee come together onscreen.
It makes me wonder why the two best friends never gave each other a chance and date. They make each other always happy, so much compassion and love they share, and the most important thing is they look perfect together.
As an audience, I would have been happier if the sequel story turned towards establishing a realization between Elle and Lee, giving all the focus on them and Noah’s part.
Even till the end before the scene of the Kissing booth, I was wondering to see Lee and Elle together kissing, making all the plot a less complicating.
Sometimes a better romantic comedy comes with a simple plot. Unfortunately, the script keeps adding more and more. ‘The Kissing Booth 2’ would have been better if they stick to the central theme of the ‘love triangle’ between Elle, Noah, and Marco.
The story of Lee and Rachel added up and made it a different theme. There is too much happening in the film to prove that Elle and Noah are meant to be together.
As a viewer, I felt the ending doesn’t make any sense. It is clear that ‘The Kissing Booth 2’ is clearly made for the fans of the first movie. If you like the first movie, you may like it as well.
But having said that, if you are someone who enjoys watching romantic comedies, then I would say, you can skip this one and spend the time watching a classic movie instead.
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