The Devil Wears Prada 2

by Mike McGranaghan

The Devil Wears Prada worked for two specific, yet seemingly opposing reasons. The first is that you didn’t have to care about the fashion industry to enjoy the wit and humor. The second is that the movie took the fashion industry very seriously, which is why the wit and humor thrived. A 20-years-later sequel does not, on the surface, seem to hold much promise, but The Devil Wears Prada 2 delivers the goods by taking the journalism industry seriously and building a story around that.

Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is now an award-winning reporter. After losing her job, she gets an offer to become the features editor at Runway magazine, working alongside her old boss, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). Longtime art director Nigel (Stanley Tucci) is still around, too. Changes are afoot at the magazine, though, as digital “content” has altered the publishing game. That means Andy must work harder to create viral stories that will satisfy Miranda, who needs to satisfy Runway’s owner. Covering the fashion beat again puts Andy in contact with former rival Emily (Emily Blunt), who works for Dior.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 has many of the same ingredients as the original. In a particularly amusing bit, Miranda allegedly doesn’t remember Andy, leading to more of her hilariously withering comments. Streep is as sassy as ever playing the character. Tucci similarly gets another set of droll lines to deliver. When Andy first enters the building, Nigel says, “Look what TJ Maxx dragged in!” The sequel looks as sleek as its predecessor, contains plenty of fashion footage, and makes phenomenal use of locations both in New York City and abroad (this time in Italy).

Rather than repeating the same basic story, screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna has come up with a fresh angle. The film deals with the very real ways journalism, of all forms, has become endangered. These days, web traffic and virality are more important than substance, leading to dumbed-down clickbait. (As someone who has had two freelance gigs go belly up for just that reason, I can relate.) Andy and Miranda literally have to save Runway from getting sucked into the content mill. There are very sharp observations about the current nature of the business, as well as reflections on what will be lost, possibly forever, if media continues down this path.

Streep, Hathaway, Blunt, and Tucci are a dream team, reviving appealing characters who are fun to watch in every combination. A natural chemistry flows among the quartet, and each of them creates a three-dimensional person for us to follow. If you loved the crew in the original, you’ll love them just as much now. Newcomer to the series Simone Ashley makes a strong impression as Miranda’s latest assistant, as does Kenneth Branagh as Miranda’s caring husband.

A subplot involving Andy’s romance with a contractor (Patrick Brammall) is awkwardly forced in, and most of the jokes pertaining to Emily’s wealthy tech-bro husband (Justin Theroux) fall flat. The core elements of The Devil Wears Prada 2 keep things afloat. Great performances mix with very timely subject matter to produce a follow-up that, appropriately, isn't just a lazy retread.