THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 (USA 2026) ***½
Directed by David Frankel
Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) returns to Runway as Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) navigates a new media landscape and Runway's position within it. They reconnect with another former assistant, Emily (Emily Blunt), who is now the head of a luxury brand that possesses funding which could ensure Runway's survival.
The film takes a while to get its footing.
The film contains a few oddities. One of these occurs twice during the film. One occurs during a dinner event where the audience sees and hears the characters talking while figures walk in front of the camera, blurring the image. Perhaps there is a purpose for this, but the reasoning escapes me. Another unrelated oddity is the display of Hathaway’s Andy’s character being a kind of klutz at the start of the film. She is almost hit by a cyclist and almost trips a few times while entering the limo. Thankfully, this clumsiness is done away with, as it makes no sense at all, as the Andy character is supposed to be smart and practical.
The film champions journalism, a dying trade. At the beginning of the film, all the employees of a magazine are laid off, while near the end, the budget for the Runway magazine is greatly reduced. But one cannot go against the future of journalism, which does not look good at all as publication after publication loses its advertisers, readership, and eventually has to close down. The film does end on a high note with Runway magazine still riding high, though the audience knows theses wishful thinking.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 can be described as a parody with good intentions towards the fashion industry. Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly stands in for Anna Wintour while the Bezos-based characters form the villainous couple in the story. Every story needs a villain for oomph, this film included. Many did not have high hopes for the sequel, thinking that the sequel will be a copied re-tread. No one can forget the original film’s outstanding beginning 10-minute one-take sequence, where Meryl Streep’s Miranda comes into the office one morning, and every staff member snaps to attention as she walks by.
The film benefits from some excellent performances, with Academy Award-winning Meryl Streep as Miranda being the standout. Stanley Tucci delivers a disciplined, understated performance as the unrecognized force behind the magazine’s success. His every facial moment, like the lift of an eyebrow or a grimace are carefully calculated. Lady Gaga lends her hand in a spirited performance, which included a new song entitled ‘Runway’. "Runway" is the original song performed by Lady Gaga and Doechii.
But what is a movie about fashion without fashion? This is where the film excels. The costume and wardrobe design, with all the wear worn by the cast, is nothing short of stunning. Meryl Streep’s wardrobe is to die for, and even Anne Hathaway’s T-shirt is chic with Björk’s album cover.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 is the big movie of this week and opens on Friday, April 24th.
Trailer:
