Review: The Devil Wears Prada 2

Directed by: David Frankel

Written by: Aline Brosh McKenna

Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Justin Theroux, Kenneth Branagh

Rating: [2.5/5]

Getting the band back together has served as one of the main reasons to create legacy sequels, as it presents the opportunity to not just print money at the box office but also finish an overarching story. The Devil Wears Prada 2 did not necessarily need to exist for us to catch up with the characters from the very entertaining first film. However, what we get is a bit of a mixed affair, but it does have some elements to appreciate. 

Freshly laid off from her latest publication, Andy (Anne Hathaway) is offered to step back into Runway magazine to help assuage a PR crisis they have run into, much to the chagrin of Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). Now with Andy back in the fold, she must reintegrate herself and continue to make things work despite the prickliness of Priestly. 

Making a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada does not come from a place of any loose ends needing to be addressed. The film ended in a great place where Andy learns about herself and what she values, which is not to work at Runway any longer. A great moment and final shot that film had to offer. Therefore, it begs the question of where they would pick things back up and the eventuality of Andy ending back up in a place she intentionally left in the past. 

With her return we see a more confident Andy, and rightfully so, given she’s had a successful 20-year career since her latest interaction with Priestly and everyone at Runway. It introduced a different dynamic into this workplace, but what baffles me is the way this film presents all of these different ideas and somewhat cuts them at the knees for the purposes of continuing to worship Miranda Preistly. It makes sense why this existed in the first film, given the mystery and the aura of this woman, but it does become tiresome to have everyone kiss her feet while she treats everyone around her like trash. This woman has somehow not evolved in the slightest in the last 20 years other than having to curb some of her language due to HR complaints. This film presents Priestly in her most vulnerable position we have seen, and yet Andy’s like a sick puppy to her. 

This issue becomes a sticking point because of the era that made the first film successful where the girl bosses like Priestly stepped onto the scene and displayed how a woman could take charge and also treat others like crap. However, it’s clear, as a collective, that we have moved beyond this, thus rendering this character not having changed in the slightest a bit tedious. That becomes especially true as the film continues and Andy and everyone else continue to do everything that serves Priestly’s best interest. At the very least they could pretend to care about Runway as an institution, but no, everything here feeds a character that does not have as much value revisiting if she remains this stagnant. Yes, Streep does give the character some intrigue, but she can only do so much. 

The biggest commentary this film seeks to tackle upon its return centers on the absorption of media outlets by owners who only want to rinse it for profit and cut all costs imaginable. Runway no longer has a print version people purchase with all of it essentially online. A changing world and one that does put Runway in a difficult place financially and for Andy, where the film opens with her publication shutting down. An idea that certainly exists in the modern landscape of journalism, but it doesn’t really go anywhere with this concept, especially in the way it involves her friends. The way they are introduced into the story serves a particular purpose for a scene or two and essentially leaves a loose end hanging, completely making it worth asking why they should have been included at all. That sums up much of the story within this film, and that is before some undercooked new love interest in Andy’s life. 

For as much negativity stews in this review, there are elements of this film that do work, especially the dynamic between Andy and Nigel (Stanley Tucci) as they essentially pick up where they left off. Hathaway and Tucci work so well together, and every scene they share displays the best moments this narrative has to offer. The film also has several callbacks and comedic moments that bring a freshness to the project. I liked the aforementioned HR complaints. Priestly has received, where she needs to watch how she talks to her underlings, given how the workplace standards have changed over the years. Unfortunately, all of the positives get washed out by a completely flawed story. 

Quite a disappointing return to this world, The Devil Wears Prada 2 has far too much it wants to accomplish through a story and leaves some characters stagnant and far too many plot points completely undercooked. While it does have some great bright spots throughout, this screenplay definitely needed a few more passes to cut out all of these superfluous threads that were unnecessary, leaving this sum as quite underwhelming. As expected, we have many beautiful gowns but not a lot of substantive quality to be had within the story.