"The Devil Wears Prada 2" Same Old Beats, New Coat of Paint

 

    When I last reviewed The Devil Wears Prada, I gave it a positive review, but dismissed it as unworthy of being some movie that deserved to be remembered and given a sequel 20 years later. Now that I've watched the sequel, I feel largely the same. Honestly? They hit many of the same beats of it's predecessor, it's more glamorous, the budget is clearly higher, yet the plot is messier. It still has the exact same issues as it's predecessor. Nothing has changed, I still feel just about the same about this sequel, which is just that If I cared more about fashion I'd care more about this film, but ultimately it's just fine? Let's talk about it.

    When I say this movie hits many of the same beats as the past one, I mean in the sense that it ultimately feels like it's just trying to recreate the same ingredients from the last film. Sort of like a modernization. It's been twenty years, and Andy is still a scrappy, journalist looking for stability. Like last time, Andy's journalism career is pretty much only present during the beginning and the end. When things actually get going the movie once again drops much of the journalism elements, forgoing it to once again to talk about power struggles at the top of the company. Once again there's a desperate plea about the importance of fashion, one that feels poignant someone, and once again the movie still seems to struggle with whether or not it wants to make Miranda a bad person, and kind of fence sits.

    Look, I'm not saying that grey characters can't exist, but it's clear that even the movie isn't quite sure. They trudge in the right direction, she finally apologizes for her actions, becomes nicer, and finally acknowledge Nigel's worth. The ending feels much sweeter/happier this time around? Yet, it's all for naught. The plot is I would say around 30% messier. I'm not saying it becomes incoherent or unbelievable (in a negative sense), but I just didn't get much from many of the new elements. Andy's love interest felt pretty weak. It just felt like they wanted someone for her to come home to, and sort respectfully I felt that Peter was largely unnecessary.

    The Jeff Bezos and his ex-wife stand-in's were very on the nose, like hilariously so to the point that I'm surprised they didn't call him Beff Jezos or something ridiculous like that. And in the end, I just felt like the whole "which billionaire will take us into the future" plot kind of whatever. I cared very little for Beff Jezos' ex-wife who appears for exactly one scene prior to her swooping in to save the day. I feel little for Emily whose character feels pretty flat and I never quite had any sort of strong feelings to her as an antagonist or just a character in general. Even in the ending I could hardly care about her, though I suppose it was nice to see both her and Andy make up.

    Realistically, I only cared about Miranda, Nigel and Andy. On that note I do love Stanley Tucci his character is still my favourite. He's just sassy, likes to gossip, and gets his flowers for doing the hard work. I mean he may have also been complicit in and enabled Miranda letting her worst tendencies fester for so wrong, but hey he got his flowers in the end am I right? I'm still kind of whatever on Miranda, she finally learns to be nicer after all these years and pretty much instantly gets what she wants? I don't know.

Final Score: 60/100

    I'm not saying this movie would have been better as a TV show, but if it was like a three episode special giving fans an update on The Devil Wears Prada world I wouldn't be surprised. Things just move so quickly and it feels like they tip some things on the way to the fine, if a bit uninspired ending. I mean I suppose I wouldn't have wanted the film to end on the same not as the last one, with Andy striking out on her own once again. But I just expected something fresher, something better. Some new take on the film that would feel more like a real sequel, and less like a modernization of the film done twenty years ago. Like none of the new characters even made a noticeable dent in my brain, and honestly I don't think this film did either. It's a passable, but very forgettable sequel.