Alas, your favorite, cheesy teenage rom-com is back! Following parts one and two, is part three of “The Kissing Booth 3” featuring the love story of fan favorites, Elle (Joey King) and Noah (Jacob Elordi.)
Surely if you are reading this article, you must have seen the first two movies. If not, I will link a recap to catch you up.
Setting the Stage
In the final saga of the sequel, director Vince Marcello, gives the audience a conclusion to the love story we have all been following for the past 3-years. Picking up where the second movie left off, there were a few lingering questions for both the characters and the audience.
First: Will Elle decide to choose the same college as Noah or will she keep her promise to go attend the same college as her best friend (and Noah’s brother), Lee (Joel Courtney)?
The answer drags out throughout the entire movie as Elle stresses her decision. At first, she told the brother duo that she got waitlisted at both colleges she was planning on following them to Harvard and UC Berkeley. However, we all know that the white lie is a way to buy her time to make a decision.
Second: Where did the love square leave off with Marco (Taylor Zakhar Perez) and Chloe (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) end off and will they make a return?
As we know, two new characters in the previous movie stirred up some trouble in paradise. Marco was after Elle and Chloe was a “close” friend of Noah’s. From what was concluded in the second movie, neither of them posed threats as Elle and Noah’s love was too strong to pull apart.
But now, the two characters have returned… Who’s going to be the one to stir up some trouble?
Third: What is Elle doing for her last summer before college?
Well, this is a loaded question and one we will get into as we dive deeper into the plot. From what I can note, she spends a lot of time with her best friend Lee and Noah. She also stresses over her college decision as well as making sure she’s spending time with the people who mean the most to her.
Give us answers!
You got it.
While receiving nonstop calls from both Harvard and UC Berkeley, Elle recognizes that with an approaching deadline it is time to make a decision. She chooses Harvard to be with Noah and continue their relationship. This news disappoints her best friend.
Chloe makes her return simply to be a companion to Noah during the Summer. She knows her place and does not try to intrude on the relationship between Elle and Noah. You go, girl!
Marco, however, is still crushing on Elle and seems to put up a fight to win her over. Jealousy erupts between Marco and Noah in their fight for the girl. Elle remains friends with Marco but never makes any sort of romantic gestures to lead him in. But, that’s not going to stop Marco from trying! On the other hand, she continues to reassure Noah, however, he just can’t let it go that another boy is trying to come between them.
That’s one messy love triangle!
Ah yes, the summer after senior year, right before college. I remember those days… Scared and sad over big changes… Getting ready to separate from all your friends and family… Preparing to live all alone… It’s pretty overwhelming!
To add to that, the gang of Elle, Noah, and Lee (who have known each other since they were kids, by the way) get some sad news. The beach house they spent every summer at with their families is being put up for sale.
Because of this, the kids (yes, I am calling them this) spend the entire summer there enjoying their final moments in the house. They also promise the parents to keep up with the maintenance and also pack up the house for moving.
I would like to note that Elle is not siblings with her boyfriend or best friend (Noah and Lee), they have all been friends since childhood through their respective parents.
Okay. I just felt like that was necessary to state in case it wasn’t clear.
Elle feels the same way, even more so after she makes her decision to attend Harvard. With Lee in a slump over the decision, Elle decides to cheer him up and pull out the bucket list they made when they were kids, which lists “35 things to do before leaving for college.”
I cannot believe they were thinking that far ahead as a kid… I know I wasn’t!
So, now, Elle will spend the summer crossing items off that bucket list with Lee, working a job to help pay for college, and spending time with Noah, her family, and friends. Wow… How stressful… But enjoy it girl, because soon you will be spending your summers doing internships for your resume!
How it all plays out!
Well, this was an adventure!
A few summer fights leave Elle and Noah at a crossroads in their relationship. Finally, a conclusion is made and the two decide to part ways, on Noah’s terms. Elle is distraught by this event but after a talk with Noah’s mother, realizes that she needs to focus on herself.
Was she going to Harvard or UC Berkeley for herself or for her people? What did she want to study and do those universities have good programs for it? What is she passionate about?
Elle had no answers. It was then, where she realized she did not want to go to either university. She had no idea what she wanted to study either and thought it was something she could figure out once she got to college… which, from my experience, yes, but having a passion leads you in that direction. She did not have a passion.
That is until she decides to attend USC. A choice of her own and for herself. A decision she made upon realizing her love for video games. She would now study video game design at a university that was her own, not in the direction of her ex-boyfriend and best friend.
Go, Elle!
As for Marco and Chloe… Well, those don’t go anywhere. Marco spends the film pining over Elle only to finally realize he must move on. He decides to take a gap year and move to New York.
Chloe remains Noah’s friend and just that. She had no intentions of pursuing him before, during, or after the relationship. At this point, she is more concerned about her parent's impending divorce, something which weighs on her throughout the film.
Goodbye Marco and Chloe! I wish you both the best.
Elle and Lee manage to cross everything off their bucket list. From a flash mob at a restaurant to go-karting in Mario kart costumes. It took a lot of trial and error to complete their list, but they did get it done successfully and had a great time doing it.
We all know how the summer ends for Elle and Noah… And sadly, that’s how it stays. Not the happy ending everyone wanted, but maybe that was for the best. It was more realistic this way.
She manages to spend time with all her loved ones, including her father and his new girlfriend whom she was very hostile towards at first.
Elle accepts her new path and life and is ready for the adventure!
My thoughts
This movie was as cheesy as I expected it to be, but maybe that is just me being a 21-year old watching a film made for preteens.
The beginning started off with far too many montages as well as cringe-worthy jokes, wardrobes, graphics, and dialogue. There were so many times where I wanted to stop watching but had to stay strong to whip up this review.
I honestly stopped halfway through and watched another movie… The unbeatable Ratatouille… But don’t worry, I came back to it and decided to give it a chance and my full attention.
From there, I actually really enjoyed it. The ending picked up with the actual plot, which was a nice and necessary change. I enjoyed how realistic the ending was and also how the focus finally switched to what Elle wants.
In one scene, Noah says “Even though we broke up, I still want to protect her,” to Lee. Lee follows it up with “She never needed you to protect her, she’s always taken care of herself and is independent. She just needed you to love her.”
To that, thank you, Lee, for speaking for all the women out there whose men think they need to protect them. Preach!
Although this was not the main plot point, I enjoyed seeing the dynamic between Elle, her father, and his new girlfriend. I think it’s important to show the emotions a kid has when seeing their parents date someone new. That is very important and was well fleshed out.
Once I looked past the cheesy parts, “The Kissing Booth 3,” was a fun watch. Although there is probably no chance for a fourth sequel, I would love to see Elle and Noah rekindle their love.
Hoping that in the fictional character universe, these two are finding each other again!
My Rating: 8/10
“The Kissing Booth 3” can be found on Netflix.
