The Devil Wears Prada 2 Review
It’s been 20 years since The Devil Wears Prada graced our screens. We finally have a sequel and can now know where the characters ended up all these years later. I was finally able to check out the movie yesterday as an early Mother’s Day celebration with my mom and grandma. Is the movie any good? Let’s talk about it!
The Review
Like I said, I saw this movie yesterday with my mom and grandma. All three of us are fans of the original that were all looking forward to this movie. Leaving the theater, all of us enjoyed the film and had fun with it. But, I was probably the one that enjoyed it the least. That’s not to say that the movie is bad, but rather I didn’t think it was great and could’ve been better. Don’t get me wrong, the cast and characters are still so fun and charming and you enjoy spending more time with them. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci are all movie stars so they’re entirely watchable on screen. Their chemistry and dynamics are still on point and what you expect and loved about their characters from the first film. That’s the big positive about this film, it’s an entirely watchable movie that has the charm and magic but I think the film has more issues then the original that holds it back from being a great sequel.
I think the big issue with this film is that it tries to tackle way too much that the film feels unfocused and parts feel undeveloped. The film has so many plot lines that it lacks a main plot line for the audience to follow. There’s a plot line about Andy returning to runway, Miranda not having the power she once had, Runway’s trouble with modern journalism, Andy falls in love, different people trying to own Runway, Andy writing a book about Miranda, and so many other things that the film doesn’t really know what it wants to be about. There’s certain plot lines that feel like they should be important but aren’t because they book end the film. The big example of this comes from the plot line involving Andy writing a book about Miranda. There’s something interesting in that idea of writing a book about a person that once had a lot of power not having a lot of power because the internet and society has changed things. That plot line is established in the first 15-20 minutes of the movie and then it’s not really brought back up until the third act of the film. The whole plot line with Andy falling in love is there to show that she’s not just working but also has a personal life. Which I think is important in the context of the film and adds some depth to her character. But the love interest doesn’t have to do anything and there’s a moment in the back half of the film that should’ve carried more weight but since the film is trying to do too many things, it feels undercooked. That’s the frustrating part about the film, the ideas present in the film I think are interesting and you can see where a good sequel could’ve been. They should’ve focused the movie more on this idea of the world of journalism changing and how Miranda and Runway are being affected. That could’ve been a very powerful sequel that feels relevant to modern times and how journalism is changing.
The ideas about journalism and how they’re changing is very interesting and as somebody who is currently in college studying journalism I feel like there’s a version of this movie that I could’ve connected with more because the fear that the characters are having is a fear that I’m also having. B.J. Novak’s character is sort of the antagonist of the film and plays a role in how Runway is changing. What’s interesting about his character is that what he’s saying isn’t entirely wrong, but since he’s going up against the characters that we do love we don’t like him for it. How he ties into the story and the role he plays is rather interesting. I wish that he got more screentime to grow and develop and build out his relationship with Miranda and their history.
One of the complicated things about doing a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada is that with time and society changing, that means that the humor of the film has to change. What I mean by that is so much of what’s made The Devil Wears Prada an iconic film that’s still talked about 20 years later is that Miranda’s comments are so irrelevant and couldn’t fit in today’s society. Where there’s several fat shaming comments that wouldn’t slide in 2026. Because of that, some of the edge and spark of Miranda is gone because they’re having to move her into a modern climate where you can’t get away with saying whatever you want. Because of that, I don’t feel like this movie has those iconic moments and lines that people are still quoting 20 years later.
I know this feels like I’m very negative about the film and didn’t like it. That’s not the case at all, I did enjoy this movie and I wouldn’t mind watching it again. Leaving the theater I had very simple thoughts of, it was a fun sequel that captured the magic and the spirit of the original but wasn’t as good as it was very unfocused. It’s not the most complex review I’ve done, but that’s because I didn’t have very complex ideas about this movie. I think fans of the original will like this movie but I don’t see very many people liking this movie more than the original.
Final Thoughts: Overall, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a good enough sequel to the original but fails to match the heights of the original. It’s fun to spend more time with these characters, the cast is still charming in their respective roles. The film is never boring, it’s a fun time that I think fans will enjoy. But, don’t go into this film expecting it to be as good or as iconic as the original. I think if you set your expectations correctly, you’ll have a fun time at the movies.
The Score: 8.2/10 (B-)
Comments