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I watched ‘To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.’  P.S.: I don’t love it. 

The Netflix rom-com sequel, “To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You,” was released on Feb. 12, just in time for Valentine’s Day. 

Since the first movie, 2018’s “To All The Boys I Loved Before,” received good reviews and is based off of a three-part book series, it wasn’t surprising when Netflix announced plans to make a sequel. And I honestly liked the first movie – Lana Condor and Noah Centineo had amazing chemistry.

My expectations for the sequel, however, weren’t too high. It's a cheesy romantic-comedy starring the king of cheesy romance, Noah Centineo, and sequels usually don’t live up to the first movie. So, it was unsurprising when I found I didn’t like it.

Lara Jean (Condor) and Peter (Centineo) are officially dating and their relationship has hit some rough waters. Lara Jean has become insecure and jealous of Peter’s popularity and his ex-girlfriend, Gen (Emilija Baranac). Lara Jean begins to question her feelings after receiving a letter from one of her former flings, John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher). 

The biggest flaw in “To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” is the fact that the loveable Jordan Fisher played the guy who comes between Lara Jean and Peter. I found myself rooting for John Ambrose, and I was thoroughly disappointed when Lara Jean chose Peter instead. 

John Ambrose was the best part of the whole movie. That’s mostly because he was played by Jordan Fisher. 

Lara Jean and John Ambrose would have made a great couple and by the end of the movie, Peter had no redeeming qualities. Yet, he still somehow was picked over John Ambrose. 

Point blank, Peter was the least likeable character in this film. In the first movie, Peter and Lara Jean fall in love with each other after kissing in the hot tub during a school ski trip. In the second movie, we find out that Peter was actually waiting for Gen in the hot tub when he was supposedly waiting for Lara Jean. Also, the fact that he knew that Gen was the one to post the video of Lara Jean and himself in the hot tub means he didn’t do anything about it when Lara Jean was traumatized afterwards. 

The unsung heroes of this rom-com flick were Lara Jean’s friend, Chris (Madeleine Arthur) and Peter’s friend, Trevor (Ross Butler). I think their new-found romance deserved some more screen time instead of the simple, predictable love triangle. 

Speaking of underdeveloped plot points, Lara Jean’s dad (John Corbett) and his new relationship with the divorced neighbor, Mrs. Rothschild (Sarayu Blue) should have been developed more, and I hope we see more of it in the next movie. 

Netflix plans to release a third movie, “To All The Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean,” and it would be great if Lara Jean is able to repair her broken friendship with Gen. It was nice to see them reconnect after their falling out. 

While “To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” wasn’t as good as its predecessor, it had redeeming qualities, like new storylines and characters, that make me hopeful for the final movie. As long as they bring back John Ambrose, I’ll be happy to watch it. 

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Rating: 2/5 stars

miskem@miamioh.edu