A fashionable and entertaining sequel that delivers style and commentary but falls short of the original's impact
The Devil Wears Prada 2 revisits the iconic characters and high-fashion world, offering a stylish continuation with a more grounded and reflective tone.
In 2003, former Vogue assistant Lauren Weisberger (Chasing Harry Winston) wrote a novel called The Devil Wears Prada, about her time working at the magazine. The two main characters, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep; Mamma Mia!) and Andrea "Andy" Sachs (Anne Hathaway; The Dark Knight Rises), are supposedly based on Vogue editor Anna Wintour and Weisberger, respectively. The novel spent 6 months on the New York Times best-seller list and was made into a major motion picture in 2006. The film grossed $326 million worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing movies of the summer of 2006. Twenty years later, we catch up with Miranda, Andy, Nigel (Stanley Tucci; The Hunger Games franchise), and Emily (Emily Blunt; Oppenheimer) as Runway magazine is on the cusp of change.
Andy has just been fired from her journalism job at the Vanguard newspaper, and Miranda is in the middle of a child labor scandal at Runway. Miranda's boss, Irv Ravitz (Tibor Feldman; Enchanted), hires Andy as the new features editor to help Runway's image, an idea that Miranda did not approve of and hates. However, when Irv suddenly dies of a heart attack at his 75th birthday party, his grandson (Holden Goodman; Ketchup on Waffles) takes over Runway and plans to completely revamp it. Suddenly fearing for their jobs and the future of Runway, Miranda, Andy, and Nigel, with a little help from Emily, must work together to secure the magazine.
The original film had a built-in audience, but the cast certainly helped solidify its appeal. With a great script written by Aline Brosh McKenna (27 Dresses), high-end fashion, and a solid plot, The Devil Wears Prada moved fluidly for almost 2 hours. Bolstered by the return of the original cast, Brosh McKenna and director David Frankel (Band of Brothers), the sequel starts in the plus column and builds from there.
Of course, one would be remiss if one didn't mention the fashion, as shallow as that may seem. I am by no means a fashionista, but even I can appreciate some of the outfits seen in the movie. Ironically, many of the top designers refused to help with the first production for fear of retaliation from Wintour; however, once she gave her nod of approval to the first movie, anyone and everyone in fashion was falling over themselves to be featured in the sequel. Luckily, the best of the best is featured, making the second film visually stunning. Filming also took place in Manhattan and Milan, so some of the visuals include incredible scenery.
Besides fashion, locations, some very good music, and an all-star cast, there are a ton of cameos from movie stars to athletes to fashion icons. Some of the sightings are so quick you will miss them if you blink. For example, Heidi Klum is listed in the credits, but I can't tell you where she was in the film.
Make no mistake, while there are some fun moments, some biting comments, and some sarcastic lines, there is a serious social commentary on the state of print media and the transition to an online presence. It also highlights the change from pure, unbiased journalism to partial, observational storytelling. Unfortunately, this reality has altered the state of print media forever.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is an enjoyable 2 hours that fans of the book and the first film will definitely enjoy. The fashion-minded crowd will love it as well. However, the story isn't as good as the first movie, and since the expectations are quite high, this sequel most likely won't fare as well at the box office as its predecessor.
Grade: B-
