While “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” may have captured our hearts in 2018, it didn’t stray too far away from the common tropes of the teen rom-com genre. What made the film stand out, however, was its believable relationships and characters.
So, I was extremely excited to see the sequel “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You,” which debuted on Netflix on Feb. 12. However, I was disappointed by this second installment as it didn’t live up to my expectations.
One of the biggest problems with this film was the characters. Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), the guy we fell in love with in the first movie, seems to have disappeared. We don’t see the charming, genuine guy anymore. The film also retroactively makes us question Peter’s actions from the first movie.
In addition, notable characters from the first film are missing. In the first movie, arguably the most important relationships involve Lara Jean’s (Lana Condor) connection to her sisters. In the sequel, Lara Jean’s older sister Margot is only in one scene. Lara Jean’s younger sister Kitty, a fan favorite, has a much smaller role here, even though she was the catalyst for the action in the original.
However, the most apparent flaw is the disappearance of Josh, the second male lead in the first film. Josh was one of Lara Jean’s closest friends and next door neighbor. He played a key role in the original film, so his departure is felt throughout. He is mentioned once or twice but is given no reason to have been cut out. The sequel takes place right after the events of the first movie, so it feels especially odd that he is not there.
The saving grace of this movie is John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher). Best known for “Rent: Live” and “Teen Beach Movie,” Fisher shines and proves to be a romantic counterpart in his own right to rival Peter. Because of John Ambrose’s sweet sincerity, we can understand why Lara Jean may be conflicted between him and Peter.
Another bright spot of the film is Condor’s reprisal of the Lara Jean role. Lara Jean’s core is still the same, but she is able to grow throughout. She can stand up for herself and be vulnerable, which are things she struggled with in the first movie. She is still a strong, emotional narrator whose faults are relatable, so we root for her.
I also enjoyed seeing Lara Jean’s rival, Gen, with a bit more depth. In the first film, she is very flat, and her only personality trait seems to be enacting revenge against Lara Jean for “stealing'' Peter from her. However, the sequel dives into Gen’s character a little bit more and her backstory with Lara Jean, so we can empathize with her.
This film was not bad. But, because the original was so touching, the flatness and mediocrity of the sequel feels exponentially worse. I am nervous, but hopeful to see how the franchise continues in the third movie, “To All the Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean.”