Jodi Kreyman (Ava Michelle) made a big impression at their school's prom with her "stand tall" speech. Now, people are looking up to her a symbol of confidence.
Because of her peers' faith and confidence in her, she decided to audition against the school bully, Kimmy (Clara Wilsey), for the school's production of Bye Bye Birdie. However, after landing the lead role and gaining more recognition and attention, Jodi finds it difficult to silence the negative voice inside her head.
Her increasing anxiety leads to her breakup with boyfriend Jack Dunkleman (Griffin Gluck). It also didn't help that her sister (Sabrina Carpenter) was leaving for Los Angeles, and her parents (Steve Zahn & Angela Kinsey) were continuously pressuring and annoying her. She can't rely on Fareeda (Anjelika Washington), her best friend, because she has her own issues to deal with like her career and Stig (Luke Eisner).
As the voice within her head starts to get louder and louder, will she ever be able to stop it and get through these difficulties?
"Tall Girl 2" is an improvement from the first film. But it’s not something that would completely swoon you off of your feet.
In the first film, the so-called tall girl wears high heels to prom to express her acceptance of her unusual height. It turns out that it’s only one item crossed off her long list of insecurities. Deep inside, she's still dissatisfied with herself in terms of skills and accomplishments in comparison to her sister and peers.
The story then feeds on Jodi's lack of confidence, and we watch her as it slowly consumes her life. But director Emily Ting makes sure that this will not become a cautionary tale of self-destruction. Jodi’s ruination is slow and through it all, there are cushions. Ting is gentle and she provides Jodi with comfort by having adults and friends visibly support her. When things get heavy, a scene that would neutralize it will occur. It's nice to see that the film didn't turn out to be condescending story on self-assurance. The message was carefully conveyed and delivered. The improvement in its core theme of confidence, love, and acceptance is a welcome change as well.
But despite this, "Tall Girl 2" still belongs in the middle of a slew of high school Netflix dramas.
It's admirable that Netflix makes an effort to create movies geared toward high school students. But frankly, they are constantly flubbing it with subpar and forgettable storylines. Only "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" has had an impact in recent years. Others, like "Kissing Booth" and "Sierra Burgess is a Loser," are completely absurd and a waste of time.
Like its contemporaries, "Tall Girl 2" has a mediocre story. But it never offends anyone, which is a good thing.
Emily Ting as director is an unusual and intriguing choice for this film. Ting isn't a newcomer to the worlds of romance, comedy, and drama, but her films often discuss a variety of profound socioeconomic problems. However, "Tall Girl" storyline lacks the pliability to convey such messages regarding culture, race, and gender. That's why Ting is an odd choice to direct it, given that it has none of her previous films’ central themes and ideas.
Nevertheless, Ting's direction boasts some fantastic blocking and eye-catching production design. But, it suffers most from failing to maintain a constant tone throughout. It's difficult to tell whether the scene is supposed to be hysterical, romantic, or dramatic. It's most likely because each character acts as if they're a "larger than life" individual and they give off various vibes. It feel like they don't belong in the same movie.
Aside from that, there are additional reasons why "Tall Girl 2" failed to make an impression, and they begin with the leads. Ava Michelle is tall enough to be the "tall girl" in the story (yes, there's no CGI in this film), but it's difficult to connect with her because she only has two or three facial expressions. She’s emotionless, and she's just reciting her lines every time she speaks.
Also, Emily Ting's treatment of Griffin Gluck's Jack Dunkleman in "Tall Girl 2" is pretty regressive. In the previous film, Dunkleman was this very endearing character. He's awkward, yet self-assured and determined. Despite the fact that he has no chance of getting the girl, his intentions are always pure and full of love. However, the Dunkleman in "Tall Girl 2" is a scheming, manipulative, and insecure young man. A complete 180-degree reversal of the characters that people adored, loved, and supported.
The only notable actors in the film are the trio of Anjelika Washington, Steve Zahn, and Angela Kinsey. They appear to be the only members of the cast who truly understand the function and silliness of the film.
Anyway, it’s impossible to deny that the film has several plot points have little to no bearing on the overall story. One example is Tommy’s (Jan Luis Castellanos) inclusion and existence. It's understandable that it's trying to keep up with the formula laid down by its predecessors. But it's not working here. Tommy is simply an embellishment and a distraction in the narrative. Whether he exists or not, the film will undoubtedly survive.
Obviously, the true value of "Tall Girl 2" is far greater than what Ting and Netflix could create. But let's face it, Jodi is not the type of girl anyone can relate to at this age. Let this film be the conclusion of her story, as well as the end of this franchise. For mercy's sake, no more "Tall Girl 3" please.
1.5/5
