Even if you didn’t see The Devil Wears Prada when it came to theaters in 2006, there was no way to escape Meryl Streep’s Academy Award-nominated turn as Miranda Priestly. The ruthless editor of high fashion magazine Runway, Miranda serves as something of a tricky mentor, a harsh antagonist, and a complex foil to Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs. It was a one-of-a-kind performance from Hollywood royalty, the kind of role that sticks with an audience long after the movie has concluded. It’s also one that viewers have spent two decades waiting to see again, raising expectations when the follow-up film was finally announced.
Director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna reunited with the original cast for the new film, and they’ve nailed the original’s tone and style. The world of fashion media has changed drastically in the twenty years since the first movie, creating the perfect space for Andy, Miranda, and the rest of the returning stars to evolve in fitting ways. While the sequel suffers in comparison to the tight construction and more focused emotional arc of the first film, the overall ambition, striking visuals, and infectious charm of The Devil Wears Prada 2 make it a worthy sequel.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 Brings Back The Original Cast Effectively
Picking up twenty years after the events of the last film, The Devil Wears Prada 2 forces Andy back into Miranda’s orbit after both of them suffer setbacks in their careers. Once again working together at Runway, Andy’s commitment to journalism bristles against Miranda’s high standards and the expectations of the corporations jockeying for control over the legendary magazine. Right from the outset, The Devil Wears Prada 2 confronts the state of media today head-on, with a bluntness that Miranda would appreciate.
The film’s antagonists are primarily disconnected tech bros and media empire heirs, too focused on “disrupting” the magazine’s place in the social ecosystem to recognize the artistry that Miranda is dedicated to showcasing. The film uses this setup to ground the conflict between Andy and Miranda without having it be a repeat of the first film, forcing Andy to see Miranda as more than just a fierce mentor (even though she can’t help herself at times). Streep and Hathaway are as good as ever, with a tonal flexibility and touch of vulnerability that makes them genuinely feel like a return to old favorites.
Likewise, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci are pitch-perfect as Andy’s old rival Emily and Miranda’s right-hand man Nigel, never more so than when the film slows down the snark and allows them to expose their fears and ambitions. Tucci, in particular, has some terrific, low-key moments that highlight why he’s been an underrated MVP in Hollywood dramas for the last thirty years. The film is helmed well by Frankel, who strikes the right balance between high-couture fashion shows and little character moments, keeping the film bigger than life without losing sight of the characters. Likewise, McKenna’s screenplay feels attuned to the last film without being too indebted to it. While the throwbacks can become a little tiresome, they rarely distract from the film’s better qualities.
The Devil Wears Prada 2’s Ambitious Yet Flawed Sequel
The Devil Wears Prada 2 had some uniquely big shoes to fill. The first movie left a cultural footprint behind it, with a terrific cast of characters who brought depth to the potentially one-note archetypes. Those people aren’t lost in the sequel, but the more varied thematic elements end up undercutting some of the effectiveness of the storytelling. There are, frankly, a lot of storylines in The Devil Wears Prada 2. Andy’s defense of journalism; Miranda’s struggles with her career; Nigel’s position in her shadow; and Emily’s overt ambitions each get a turn in the spotlight, alongside plenty of scenes of fashion runways, celebrity cameos, and satirical prodding of both corporate America and tech bros.
The film never truly stumbles over these beats, but they do leave it feeling overcrowded at times. Side characters like Andy’s friends, her love interest Peter (Patrick Brammall), and Miranda’s husband Stuart (Kenneth Branagh) are all performed well but aren’t given time to really feel like full characters. Subplots such as Lucy Liu’s role in the story disappear for over an hour at a time only to come roaring back in the finale. Likewise, some of the comedy also feels locked out of the overall film – more an accessory than an invaluable part of the full ensemble. Well-done moments come in bursts but quickly become overshadowed by the rest of the film’s broader focus.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a well-crafted sequel that finds a healthy balance between nostalgia and forward momentum.
The film has a lot to say about modern culture, the survival of media in the digital age, and the importance of art in all forms. It juggles those messages well even if a few balls are dropped along the way. As a result, The Devil Wears Prada 2 doesn’t feel as tightly constructed as the first one which benefited from a more straightforward narrative and emotional arc for its characters. But that’s not to say that this movie is a mess – far from it.
The level of talent and craft on display is terrific, and moments of genuine fun found in performances, writing, and visuals are infectious. It’s hard not to laugh at Miranda’s sly comments or become emotional when Andy is validated. For fans of the original, there’s more than enough of that original spark left to deliver a welcome return. Even audiences ambivalent about fashion will find enough thematic weight and character dynamics to stay invested. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a well-crafted sequel that finds a healthy balance between nostalgia and forward momentum. It might not be as richly compelling as its predecessor but there’s still much to enjoy – especially when it turns inward.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 releases in theaters nationwide on Friday, May 1.
The Devil Wears Prada 2
7/10
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