Rating 1.5/5
‘Tall Girl 2’ follows Jodi, a 16-year-old, who is more than six feet tall. The film revolves around her experience at high school after her speech at Homecoming in the last film.
Story
Jodi Kreyman (Ava Michelle) gives an encouraging speech at homecoming and then resolves to embrace her height rather than be embarrassed by it. She rose to fame overnight and now dates her best friend, Jack (Griffin Gluck).
Jodi auditions for the main role in the school musical, but she runs with an old foe, Kimmy (Clara Wilsey), and finds herself in a love triangle with her boyfriend and her new co-star, Tommy (Jan Luis Castellanos).
Jodi is definitely dealing with self-doubt, as a nagging voice in her head tells her she isn’t good enough for the role. Kimmy tries to bully her, but it doesn’t take much for her to irritate Jodi, and her first week of rehearsals goes awry.
After she misses her boyfriend’s anniversary dinner, things with Jack go sideways, leading to her attraction to Tommy, which culminates in a kiss. She does, however, tell Tommy that she loves Jack and the two become friends.
Performances
Ava Michelle’s performance as the awkward Jodie isn’t particularly memorable. The film is held together by a strong and entertaining supporting cast.
Griffin Gluck, who is usually lovely, steals the show as the lovesick Jack, who wears his heart on his sleeve and has near-perfect comedic timing.
Sabrina Carpenter, who portrays Harper, Jodi’s beauty pageant-experienced older sister, is particularly hilarious, nailing a recurrent gag in which she glances wistfully out the window every time she recalls a memory.
Clara Wilsey portrays Kimmy, the cruel girl, in a pleasant fashion, despite the character’s limited role.
Then there’s Tommy Torres (Jan Luis Castellanos), who plays the lead opposite Jodi and becomes her new love interest. Luis is fantastic in this part. He’s always peaceful when he’s on the screen, and I never know what’s going to happen.
Even if they only appear in a few scenes, Steve Zahn and Angela Kinsey are pretty much the only reason to watch Tall Girl 2. They’re the quintessential silly teen movie parents, flirting with each other, embarrassing their daughters, and providing emotional support when it’s needed.
Positives
There’s a tiny bit of charm present thanks to the strength of the cast. Rather than the primary characters, the supporting cast provides the humor in this blatant rom-com.
It is appreciable of the directors’ desire to include something substantive in the film. The cinematography of the film is done by Shane Hurlbut who is an absolute bliss.
Negatives
The writing is shallow, presenting us with undeveloped pals and a one-note mean girl. The majority of their attempts to address this issue comes across as hollow. It’s a nice film on the psychological impact of adolescent insecurities, but the narrative could have been much better.
The movie brings out some pointless character threats and some cheesy mind-numbing plot.
There was a strange tonal imbalance in the visuals, things like angling the camera to make her appear taller but not in the story.
Verdict
Tall Girl 2 is a one-time watch that targets the young audience, which even the Rom-Com fanatics might want to skip.
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