Review Written for clapperltd.co.uk
Two years after the successful, yet critically panned, The Kissing Booth, NETFLIX delivers a sequel that doubles down on the love/hate aspects of the first feature, which results in a shockingly entertaining teenage romantic comedy.
To say that the first film in the currently planned trilogy was forgettable is perhaps an understatement. The film blended in with the vast amount of teen romance films that NETFLIX seems to be rapidly producing with varied success, while showcasing mostly unlikeable characters and an abrasive editing style. With The Kissing Booth 2, Director Vine Marcello opts to take every element of the first film, regardless of quality, and amplify these aspects across the sequel’s eye watering two-hour and eleven minute runtime. Yet, rather than the final product being overly long and redundant, it is a far more enjoyable romp than the first – one that its target audience of young teens are sure to be invested in.
Set mere weeks after the events of the previous film, Elle Evans (Joey King) details the struggles of being away from her boyfriend, aka the heart throb of the first film Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi), who has just left for Harvard University. Despite plans to attend Berkeley with best friend Lee Flynn (Joel Courtney), Noah convinces Elle to try her hand at applying for Harvard and reuniting with him, all the while Elle begins to worry that Noah has fallen in love with classmate Chloe (Maisie Richardson-Sellers). Elle herself is slowly torn away towards new school mate Marco (Taylor Zakhar Perez). Amongst all of this, there is a dance competition and plenty of melodrama, as well as a score that equates to a Spotify playlist on shuffle. The corny plot, however, is clearly and acutely aware of its purpose , and more importantly the audience it is for.
The introduction of Marco as the film’s new potential love interest for Elle certainly harkens back to the mayhem in Twilight,and the split fanbase of Team Edward and Team Jacob that took over teenage culture for a while. Much like Twilight, The Kissing Booth 2 struggles to bring its characters any significant depth beyond their preference for a mate at any given point. Beyond the rapid flashback/montage at the film’s opening, very little attention is given to our principal characters outside of some very brief quarrels, before quickly moving on to the next plot point. Yet to even suggest that the film rushes the plot feels strange when noting the excessive runtime, clocking in around forty minutes longer than its predecessor. Thankfully, the film is paced well enough that it somehow manages to not overstay its welcome, a positive attribute that was certainly not found in the first film.
That is not to say the film warrants this run time, but without the extra minutes one might not get to experience one of many hilariously over the top scenes. A highlight Elle and Marco’s performance of an insanely extravagant dance routine on a Dance Dance Revolution machine, while music blares as characters are super imposed over the frame. It is hard to tell if scenes like these are self-aware of the absurdity of it all, but that might be just what makes it so fun to watch. It’s predictable, overly long and incredibly silly, yet The Kissing Booth 2 manages to be heaps of fun, and while it undoubtedly won’t bring any detractors to its side, it is sure to satisfy fans of the first entry.