'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Review: A Sequel That's Mostly Worth The Wait
After two decades of heavy anticipation, fans will finally be able to feast their eyes on The Devil Wears Prada 2, a sequel that may not reach the dizzying heights of its beloved predecessor, but brings with it plenty of glitz, glamour, and entertainment value.
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ catches audiences up with Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) who has established herself as a premiere writer in New York City, but unfortunately is laid off. Fortunately, Runway comes calling once again as she becomes the features editor for the revered magazine, reuniting with Miranda (Meryl Streep), Nigel (Stanley Tucci) and Emily (Emily Blunt) as she attempts to mend the image of the company after a scandal in addition to making it culturally relevant for the digital era. Rounding out this impressive cast are the additions of Kenneth Branagh, B.J. Novak, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux and Patrick Brammall.
Very few films have penetrated the cultural zeitgeist and have had the staying powers quite like ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, making the idea of a follow-up daunting to say the least. Fortunately, with the core cast and director David Frankel back in the saddle, this sequel mostly delivers on what it promises. Hathaway, Streep, Tucci and Blunt step back into the expensive shoes of their respective characters with effortless ease and infectious energy, never even remotely missing a step. Hathaway remains bubbly, charismatic and endearing, Streep’s delivery and dynamic gravitas remains as singular as ever, Tucci once again proves to be the beating heart, and Blunt’s razor sharp comedic timing and instincts are on full display once more. Simply put, no one here looks as if they’re along for the ride for just a paycheck and their committed performances help elevate and carry this sequel throughout.
Like the original, the film is breezy, well-paced and light on its feet, going down smooth like an ice cold glass of iced tea on a scorching summer day. Fortunately, when the second act kicks in, the film starts to finally embrace being a proper sequel and evolves the core characters and their dynamics as it heads into some welcomed uncharted territory. In a myriad of ways, these characters have remained the same, but the film does an effective job at showcasing how they’ve grown and changed for better and worse over the years. The dynamic between Andy and Miranda feels familiar, but noticeably more mature and refined, especially as their relationship is explored throughout Runway’s latest crisis. Emily’s new dynamic with Miranda, her former boss, is also a welcomed change, the power now in the former’s hands rather than the latter’s. Changing these dynamics and exploring them with depth and sincerity is one of the sequel’s sharpest tools, not only effectively demonstrating the passage of time from the first film, but adding new layers to these characters that fans have come to know and love immensely.
The sequel also has a terrific balance of humor and heart, wearing the latter on its sleeve earnestly. The film provides plenty of wit, repartee and entertainment that made the original such a beloved classic, but it also has far more heart. As Miranda enters the twilight of her career, seeing her not only struggle for power within the company she helped build and shape the cultural voice and imprint for, but search for her place in this new digital era as well is emotionally compelling to say the least. Streep not only adds new shades and layers to Miranda, but the character has never lacked so much control, making her feel more human than she ever did in the original. The film also does an admirable job providing a commentary on the current state of print journalism and how it’s slowly decaying and losing its cultural impact. Though the film would’ve benefited from exploring this with far more depth, its passion on the subject does shine through.
However, this sequel takes far too long to become interesting and engaging. To say the first act of the film feels like a retread or greatest hits compilation would be an understatement. The first half of the film feels far too familiar and conventional, repeating many of the same beats and dynamics of the original without sprinkling in anything new or surprising. Andy essentially reverts back to the sheepish, uncertain employee desperately vying for Miranda’s approval and validation as she leans on Nigel’s expertise and emotional wisdom to guide her and push her to be better. In turn, the first half of the film feels like audiences are watching the first film dressed in different clothes, but with considerable diminishing returns. Making matters worse are the additions of supporting characters such as Theroux’s Benji and Novak’s Jay who come across as cartoonish caricatures rather than three-dimensional human beings, especially the former who is not only buried in bizarre and distracting makeup, but is delivering a performance that feels as if it belongs in an entirely different film all together. The film also straddles Andy with yet another romantic interest In Brammall’s Peter, an affable and unproblematic Australian contractor. While their budding romance and relationship is quirky and warm, it feels like a superfluous addition to a sequel that seems to have too much on its mind to give it the attention it deserves.
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ is a highly entertaining mixed bag, delivering the laughs, heart and wholesome entertainment value fans will surely relish as it struggles to break free from the shadow and shackles of its predecessor. While it takes far too long to find its own distinct voice and point of view, once it settles in and plants its heels in the ground, this sequel explores these characters in new and exciting ways that will have audiences falling deeper in love with them. This highly anticipated follow-up may not be a showstopper, but it still manages to make the old look damn good.