Directed by: David Frankel
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, Justin Theroux, Kenneth Branagh, BJ Novak, Lucy Liu, Patrick Brammall, Simone Ashley
As far as sequels no one asked for go: The Devil Wears Prada 2 is quite entertaining. It's fun to see this group together again and the sequel even has something to say about today's media. Runway magazine in 2006 carried a great deal of influence in the fashion world and its editor-in-chief, the all-powerful Miranda Priestly (Streep) was the final word in whether a designer would become famous or infamous. She wielded such power that no one in the building would dare share an elevator with her.
In 2026, Runway is now mostly online with very few physical copies available and the office atmosphere is such that Miranda can no longer throw her coat at her assistants and has to watch the phrases she uses. It's amusing to see Miranda hanging up her own coat and afterward looking drained. Why is she hanging up her own coat? Because of HR complaints. How Miranda lasted this long in a changing environment is beyond anyone's comprehension, but one thing we know about her: She is a survivor. She can adapt.
The moral center of the Devil Wears Prada universe remains Andy Sachs (Hathaway), who begins the movie as a journalist who is fired via text (as does the rest of the magazine's staff) as she's receiving an award for Journalist of the Year. Her expletive-laced rant goes viral, and soon she's back working at Runway as a features editor much to Miranda's displeasure. Miranda at first doesn't remember Andy and has to be gently reminded by her ever-loyal right-hand Nigel (Tucci-who is great as always) that "she was one of the Emilys" (code name for the assistants at which Miranda would toss her coat and purse).
Runway is in dire straits due to the ever-changing media landscape and a recent story linking Runway to sweat shops. Miranda's boss Ira soon passes away, and his son (Novak) wants to sell the conglomerate to billionaire Benji (Theroux), who is the new beau of Emily Charlton (Blunt), who now works for Dior and still harbors resentments towards Miranda, Andy, and Runway. Emily would love nothing more than to take over Runway. When everyone finds themselves in Milan, games are afoot to determine the future of Runway and therefore Miranda, Nigel, and Andy.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 isn't as good as its predecessor, but it has charms of its own. Miranda is allowed to have more emotions and dimensions (although her performance was wickedly funny in the first film). The subplots involving Runway's fate bring due intrigue, and although The Devil Wears Prada 2 ends more or less happily, you know in the real world it wouldn't be so tidy.
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