Though the thread feels tertiary, it’s handled with sensitivity and sweetness. This time around, the filmmakers have made things a little less heteronormative, including an LGBT storyline involving classmate Ollie (Judd Krok) and his concerns over revealing his crush on student-body president Miles (Evan Hengst).
While the execution can be a bit ham-handed, it admirably avoids pitting its female characters against each other. The film also finds its strength by leaning heavily on the narrative’s inherent irreverence, from comedic pratfalls that add dimension to the beefcake on display to instances of heartrending humiliation, like Rachel’s ultimatum to Lee while she’s dressed as a sugary confection. Presenting Elle with a healthier, supportive relationship alternative adds depth to her arc. That said, this installment has a smidge more redeeming value than its predecessor. This isn’t just sequel-baiting, but negates this chapter altogether. Elle’s issues with her inner circle, and theirs with her, persist.
Situations end on an upbeat, happy note even though there’s no resolution. By the finale, a lot has happened, but little was actually solved. Instead of building to one climax, the film juggles three - the dance competition, the kissing booth and the characters’ homecoming - as the filmmakers struggle to sustain equal attention for the various plotlines.
Arnold can’t make up their minds about what the conflicts are and how to resolve them in a clever, compelling or concise manner, so they repeat many of the same tonal notes over the film’s egregiously bloated 130 minutes. Writer-director Vince Marcello and co-writer Jay S. Similar to the first feature, which struggled to find a proper balance between the friendships and romantic conundrums faced by its three leads, this iteration suffers from another narrative crisis in that it tries to be too many things all at once - and doesn’t totally succeed at any of them. Not only will our plucky heroine have to keep that alternate plan a secret from her bestie, she’s also forced to enlist his help in winning her tuition money in a dancing video game contest. Things really go pear-shaped for Elle when Noah suggests she break one of her sacred agreements with Lee, begging her to apply to Harvard so she can be with him.
Elle also unwittingly causes a relationship rift between Lee and Rachel by not taking a back seat to Rachel (both metaphorically and physically) and monopolizing most of Lee’s free time. Noah finds a special kinship and chemistry with beautiful British co-ed Chloe (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), and Elle the same with her handsome new classmate Marco (Taylor Zakhar Perez). Yet just as Elle and Noah are getting used to their togetherness spent apart, they both encounter temptations.