Miranda, Andy, Nigel, and Emily are back in The Devil Wears Prada 2, a nostalgia sequel that really doesn’t try very hard to be good—but stitches up fleeting entertainment anyway.
Andy (Anne Hathaway) is thrust back into the orbit of menacing fashion icon Miranda—who has been knocked down a few pegs by the decline in the media industry, a heavier reliance on advertisers, and corporate pressure to turn a profit. Oh, and she’s not supposed to say mean things to employees.
Thankfully, Miranda is still a bitch—even if she, or perhaps Meryl Streep, is a little tired of the shtick. Unfortunately, Andy is still a neurotic mess, an annoying character who, over the last 20 years, has evolved on paper but not in reality. Hathaway does her duty, but if Andy were suffocated under a pile of designer clothes, would anyone be upset?
Returning director David Frankel and the four headliners—all Oscar winners or nominees—know the mission: rinse and repeat, don’t challenge the audience, and don’t rock the boat. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is an outcome of said mission. It’s harmless if unimpressive, stirring up entertainment value while not evoking much actual comedic value or staying power.
Miranda is just bitchy enough. Andy, though obnoxious, is earnest. Emily is Emily and Nigel is Nigel. The actors know their characters well and deliver upon expectations, without ever attempting to go even one notch beyond. The story revolves around the true and tired “corporate owners are looking to cut costs” cliché, which may be a fitting plot modernization but makes for generic entertainment.
And yet, if you go in expecting all this—which you should—The Devil Wears Prada 2 is an easy watch, at least if you have a girlfriend or wife or someone itching for the experience. Well paced and moderately entertaining throughout, fans of the original should find enough to like.
I just wish The Devil Wears Prada 2 was sharper. Edgier. For a movie about the cutting edge of style, the colors all felt a bit muted this time down the runway. Enjoyable, yes, but would Miranda approve?
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.
