‘To All the Boys 2’ Netflix review: Lana Condor has a tough choice - Noah Centineo or Jordan Fisher

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Peter is Lara Jean's official boyfriend, but what happens when her sixth-grade crush John re-enters the picture?

Nicola Chan |
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all the boys i loved before 2

Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) is thrilled and nervous about going on her first date with Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) as his official girlfriend.

Turns out she had nothing to worry about, and all is going well with the newly-formed couple. That is, until Lara receives a letter from John Ambrose (Jordan Fisher), the only recipient of her love letters she didn’t hear back from.

She is unsure of how – or even whether – she should respond to her sixth-grade crush. Meanwhile, Lara is troubled by many questions in her head about her relationship with Peter : What is a girlfriend of a school heart-throb expected to do? What if she does not compare with Peter’s ex-girlfriend Gen? What if he’s still not over her?

 

 

Lara is forced to bite the bullet when she bumps into John at her first day volunteering at the Belleview Retirement Home.

Quite like the first film, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You is light-hearted and packed with drama, except this time the thrill and sweet sisterhood element are gone.

The film speeds through the plot and as a result fails to capture the complex emotions behind human relationships. It does, however, offer some valuable lessons on love, and encapsulates all the butterflies and confusion that goes with it.

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Although coincidental encounters and dramatic events are to be expected from the sequel, these fictional elements make it difficult for the audience to read Lara’s psyche and understand her vacillating feelings for Peter and John.

Props go to new cast member Holland Taylor, however, who plays the cheeky old lady Stormy living in the nursing home where Lara volunteers. She is a charmer with some good punchlines, lending some much needed colour to the rather predictable love story.

To All The Boys 2 is not as fun a watch as the first film, but is still a light and visually appealing teenage romance for a lazy Friday night.

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