Twenty years after she first threw her coat onto her assistant’s desk, Miranda Priestly returns to prove that the fashion industry can still thrive in a world of online shopping and digital media. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, and Emily Blunt all reprise their now iconic roles for the sequel, with some new faces added into the mix as well. With a production budget nearly tripling the original’s, The Devil Wears Prada 2 was shot on location in Manhattan and Milan in an attempt to recreate the glamour and charm of one of the most influential films of the 21st century.
Returning the key cast and crew members, the sequel is clearly fishing for some of the magic of the original. It gets off to a promising start with an opening scene that feels reminiscent of the 2006 version. Before long though, it is revealed just how much has changed. Traditions and practices at Runway have seemingly been updated to keep up with the rest of the world. Yet, as the film continues, it is evident that these updates are only superficial, and the deep rooted issues within the company (that function as an example of broader issues) remain. This balance between new trends and the allure of the fashion industry two decades ago is the key component to the sequel and probably the most difficult aspect of the film to get right. It’s already going to be extremely tough for any sequel to gauge how much to change, and this is only exacerbated with twenty years of separation and a dying subject matter. The Devil Wears Prada 2 attempts to find this balance, getting itself caught in a tug-of-war between nostalgia and modernization. It lands a few powerful moments but ultimately loses its grip on the original’s enchanting nature.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 regrettably falls into the same trap as many sequels – packing in too much content. Seeking to modernize the original movie, the filmmakers straightforwardly add new material onto the project. Rather than a reworked story that blends the new characters into the story, the film just adds them on top of the existing elements. Therefore, the new film has a lot going on. This overload is never clearer than when looking at the inclusion of Andy’s new love interest, Peter. Towards the end of the film, his character is completely thrown to the wayside until it is time to wrap everything up. There must have been a thirty plus minute stretch where he wasn’t even mentioned. Even before this point, he had very little depth or influence on the other characters, despite his screentime. Honestly, there were a few times where I completely forgot about him altogether. This is a side effect of the sequel just creating too many characters while also keeping most of the original cast. Outside of the core four actors, characters like Lily and Irv return, while characters like Benji, Stuart, Sasha, Jay, and Amari are all added. Some of these new additions are fun peripheral pieces but they simply don’t have the space to be anything more. I don’t mind the idea of new characters and extra elements, but when so many are tacked on to an already saturated project, they end up taking away from the main cast, while not really providing anything of substance.
One of the reasons that the original The Devil Wears Prada is so poignant is its ability to tell a seemingly realistic story, no matter how brutal the truth may be. The film illustrates the theme that everybody wants to be famously successful, but there are countless sacrifices and lifestyle changes required to get there. As Stanley Tucci’s character famously tells Andy, “Let me know when your whole life goes up in smoke. That means it’s time for a promotion.”
The Devil Wears Prada 2 unfortunately moves away from this entire approach. While it’s true that this film may not need to unveil as much of the brutal working conditions that were already seen in the original, I really wanted to see more harsh realities of the industry. It’s been twenty years since the original. I thought it would be worthwhile to depict how the same characters now use updated methods to achieve their power and status. Even if they did not depict any major updates, I was still excited to dive back into these complex characters who sacrifice their entire personal lives for extreme career success. Unfortunately though, the film is instead solely focused on neatly wrapping up everyone’s story. In this sequel, everything tends to work out perfectly for Andy, Miranda, and Nigel. In doing so, the film loses the messiness and heart of what made the first one so intriguing and enchanting. These cunning and cutthroat icons are relegated to predictable tropes in a world where everything conveniently goes well for them. It is quite the opposite of the first film, and turns one of the most interesting films I’ve ever seen into a somewhat bland one.
With all that said, there were still moments in this movie where I was reminded of why I was so excited to see Miranda Priestly on screen once more. Ideas like Miranda not knowing there is a cafeteria in their building carry the same charming tone and style that makes her character so enjoyable to watch. The red carpet gala in Milan is a perfectly executed sequence showing the dichotomy and brilliance of both Miranda’s and Nigel’s character. Nigel has a lot of very interesting work in the film as he keeps Runway afloat behind the scenes. He carries the same magnetism as he did in the first film, and of the new additions, I surprisingly really enjoyed BJ Novak’s performance as well.
All in all, a sequel to one of the most influential films of the century was bound to be somewhat of a let down. Still, I was hoping for a little more of the messiness and sincerity that made the first film so brilliant. We were provided with enough flashes of it to keep you entertained, but not enough to leave a lasting impression.
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