by Josh Sewell
While a sequel to the beloved 2006 comedy The Devil Wears Prada wasn’t necessary – the story wrapped up nicely – fans have spent years clamoring for one. Two decades later, the original’s core cast returns for a highly anticipated follow-up.
In The Devil Wears Prada 2, once-invincible fashion icon Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) finds her job on the chopping block now that print media is an endangered species. Runway Magazine’s audience is much smaller, and those who still read it are furious over a glowing story about a designer who was later busted for using sweatshops.
If she’s going to save her beloved publication, she must rely on help from a familiar face. Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is talked into returning to Runway as the new features editor, aka damage control. She and her former mentor Nigel (Stanley Tucci) establish a plan to reestablish Runway’s prominence, but they’re up against a surprising roadblock: Miranda’s former assistant Emily (Emily Blunt), who now works for Dior and holds all the power in their business relationship.
Now that The Devil Wears Prada 2 is here, it still feels a little unnecessary. However, the slight story is elevated by watching all these phenomenal actors having a fun time together again. Given the disastrous track record of comedy sequels (Anchorman 2, Zoolander 2, The Hangover Part II and so many more), it’s a minor miracle the flick is even halfway decent.
Credit for such an accomplishment goes to the fully committed cast (nobody seems like they’re phoning it in despite their massive salaries), along with screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna and director David Frankel, who return from the original. There’s a bit too much fan service and on-the-nose callbacks for my taste, but McKenna gets most of those out of the way in the first hour.
Things improve considerably once the plans and scheming kick into gear, though admittedly there’s some creative movie logic involved when it comes to these characters agreeing to work together again. For example, Miranda doesn’t even remember Andy. (Although, to be fair, the monstrous boss has gone through hundreds of assistants since she left.)
As for Andy, in the real world she’d never come back to this toxic workplace. However, the movie explains it by showing she’s desperate for a job since her entire paper gets laid off while the staff is at an awards ceremony. Once she’s promised more power and creative freedom than she had before, it makes more sense that she’d give it another shot.
Unfortunately, the suspension of disbelief doesn’t work as well for Emily. Her character is only here because it was mandatory for Blunt to come back, so her motivations and behavior fluctuate from scene to scene. It’s also tough to imagine that Nigel would still be Miranda’s right-hand two decades after her devastating betrayal at the end of the first film.
Still, the charismatic power of the four actors keeps the story afloat in its weaker moments. It’s impossible for Streep to give a bad performance, even if the movie around her is muddled. In this case, I really enjoyed seeing her add further complexity to a Miranda who is no longer bulletproof and in charge of her own destiny. It’s intriguing to see the character rocked back on her (considerably high) heels for once.
Hathaway is also terrific, demonstrating that Andy has grown as both a human and a journalist in her long absence from Runway, yet she still possesses the do-gooder personality that made her such a prime target for Miranda’s venomous challenges. Blunt and Tucci also prove they’re excellent performers considering how they elevate their roles far above what’s on the page. I just wish the core four had more scenes together.
Some of the new cast members are fun, particularly Kenneth Branagh as Miranda’s ever-patient husband; Justin Theroux as a hilariously stupid tech billionaire; Lucy Liu as his publicity-shy ex; Caleb Hearon as one of Miranda’s new assistants; and B.J. Novak as a nepo baby with the world’s most punchable face. However, any time they interact with the original cast it just made me long for more time with the old guard all in one place.
Despite its flaws, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is still worth checking out. It doesn’t reach the comedic heights of the original (honestly, it’s a straight drama in some scenes), but I admire how it makes a passionate stand for the importance of journalism. I wasn’t expecting to hear that message from a breezy summer flick, but I’ll take it wherever I can.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is rated PG-13 for strong language and some suggestive references. Opens in theaters on May 1.
Grade: B-
In The Devil Wears Prada 2, once-invincible fashion icon Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) finds her job on the chopping block now that print media is an endangered species. Runway Magazine’s audience is much smaller, and those who still read it are furious over a glowing story about a designer who was later busted for using sweatshops.
If she’s going to save her beloved publication, she must rely on help from a familiar face. Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is talked into returning to Runway as the new features editor, aka damage control. She and her former mentor Nigel (Stanley Tucci) establish a plan to reestablish Runway’s prominence, but they’re up against a surprising roadblock: Miranda’s former assistant Emily (Emily Blunt), who now works for Dior and holds all the power in their business relationship.
Now that The Devil Wears Prada 2 is here, it still feels a little unnecessary. However, the slight story is elevated by watching all these phenomenal actors having a fun time together again. Given the disastrous track record of comedy sequels (Anchorman 2, Zoolander 2, The Hangover Part II and so many more), it’s a minor miracle the flick is even halfway decent.
Credit for such an accomplishment goes to the fully committed cast (nobody seems like they’re phoning it in despite their massive salaries), along with screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna and director David Frankel, who return from the original. There’s a bit too much fan service and on-the-nose callbacks for my taste, but McKenna gets most of those out of the way in the first hour.
Things improve considerably once the plans and scheming kick into gear, though admittedly there’s some creative movie logic involved when it comes to these characters agreeing to work together again. For example, Miranda doesn’t even remember Andy. (Although, to be fair, the monstrous boss has gone through hundreds of assistants since she left.)
As for Andy, in the real world she’d never come back to this toxic workplace. However, the movie explains it by showing she’s desperate for a job since her entire paper gets laid off while the staff is at an awards ceremony. Once she’s promised more power and creative freedom than she had before, it makes more sense that she’d give it another shot.
Unfortunately, the suspension of disbelief doesn’t work as well for Emily. Her character is only here because it was mandatory for Blunt to come back, so her motivations and behavior fluctuate from scene to scene. It’s also tough to imagine that Nigel would still be Miranda’s right-hand two decades after her devastating betrayal at the end of the first film.
Still, the charismatic power of the four actors keeps the story afloat in its weaker moments. It’s impossible for Streep to give a bad performance, even if the movie around her is muddled. In this case, I really enjoyed seeing her add further complexity to a Miranda who is no longer bulletproof and in charge of her own destiny. It’s intriguing to see the character rocked back on her (considerably high) heels for once.
Hathaway is also terrific, demonstrating that Andy has grown as both a human and a journalist in her long absence from Runway, yet she still possesses the do-gooder personality that made her such a prime target for Miranda’s venomous challenges. Blunt and Tucci also prove they’re excellent performers considering how they elevate their roles far above what’s on the page. I just wish the core four had more scenes together.
Some of the new cast members are fun, particularly Kenneth Branagh as Miranda’s ever-patient husband; Justin Theroux as a hilariously stupid tech billionaire; Lucy Liu as his publicity-shy ex; Caleb Hearon as one of Miranda’s new assistants; and B.J. Novak as a nepo baby with the world’s most punchable face. However, any time they interact with the original cast it just made me long for more time with the old guard all in one place.
Despite its flaws, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is still worth checking out. It doesn’t reach the comedic heights of the original (honestly, it’s a straight drama in some scenes), but I admire how it makes a passionate stand for the importance of journalism. I wasn’t expecting to hear that message from a breezy summer flick, but I’ll take it wherever I can.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is rated PG-13 for strong language and some suggestive references. Opens in theaters on May 1.
Grade: B-
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
Comments
Post a Comment