Review | The Devil Wears Prada 2 – "En Vogue but Derivative: Does it Live Up to the Hype?"
- Lagoa Nerd
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
After a two-decade-long hiatus, the sequel to the cult classic The Devil Wears Prada arrives in theaters with even more fanfare than its predecessor, making a grand, high-profile debut across global screens. Yet, amidst the flashbulbs and the frenzy, a pivotal question remains: does it manage to transcend the shadow of the original?
Being a global box office smash with a projected $200-235 million opening weekend, the film recorded the biggest opening day of the year in Brazil, Italy, South Korea, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Greece, Ukraine, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
As the saying goes: "Don't mess with a winning team!"
After intense negotiations, the film brings back the "original fantastic four": Meryl Streep with her irascible and irresistible Miranda Priestly; Anne Hathaway as the now highly regarded journalist Andy Sachs; Emily Blunt—formerly the personal assistant Emily—now as the "face concept" and brand manager for Dior; and of course, Stanley Tucci as Miranda’s longtime right-hand man, Nigel, who remains at Runway.
20 years later, times have changed. Print magazines are no longer the same, with decreasing circulation and content geared toward digital consumption. Both Miranda and her team, as well as the journalistic and fashion worlds, have had to adapt to this new reality.
Andy (Anne Hathaway) is now an established journalist. In the middle of a major award ceremony for her work, she and her team are blindsided by an SMS announcing mass layoffs. Amidst this, a scandal involves Miranda’s name; to neutralize it, Andy is hired for crisis management. T
The two, along with Nigel and Runway, end up reuniting—somewhat reluctantly. Andy also gets a big surprise when she runs into her old "rival" Emily (a formidable Emily Blunt), now a supervisor for the Dior brand. This is where we see that things are under threat for Runway, Miranda, and her entire crew.
Does The Devil Wears Prada 2 surpass the first one?
The sequel was highly requested by fans due to the massive success of the first film, which became a timeless classic even within the rom-com or "afternoon movie" style (in my opinion, classics are often born there). After a long 20-year wait and negotiations to bring back the main cast, the film is finally here, with director David Frankel returning to the helm.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a good movie, but it’s generic and plays it very safe in delivering a new plot. It remains fun, involving the chic fashion world and modern journalism.
The cast is still great and in sync, despite the feeling that they "pruned" Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). It would have been better to bring back her more irascible and ironic side; we know how wonderful Meryl can be as the boss of Runway and so many other iconic characters. Despite this, she remains classy in her speech and gestures.
Anne Hathaway continues to be great, with more glamour as Andy, unlike the "tacky" and style-less version we met in the first film. Stanley Tucci is still wonderful as Nigel, and Emily Blunt remains stupendous. She was the standout of the first film with Emily's envious side, though here I also felt they missed an opportunity to better utilize the character.
we have some new additions, like Simone Ashley as Amari, Miranda’s new personal assistant. She has a bit more agency now, as she intervenes in meetings to stop Miranda from saying whatever comes to mind (a shame, lol). We also have the "Charlie Chair" (the assistant’s assistant who can’t leave their spot even to go to the bathroom).
Actor Kenneth Branagh plays Miranda’s "trophy husband." There’s also Justin Theroux as Benji Barnes, a nerd startup CEO who doesn't seem to understand the business, being inconvenient at times and eventually becoming Emily's boyfriend (I'm not sure if they wanted to reference Jeff Bezos, but it certainly gave that impression).
 B.J. Novak appears as Irv Ravitz’s son, the owner of the conglomerate that owns Runway—a very forgettable character.
The film feels a bit forced in some parts and very obvious in others; you can tell halfway through what’s going to happen. The guy chosen to be Andy’s partner this time—unlike Adrian Grenier and Simon Baker as Nate and Christian—is "meh" and lackluster, with a very cliché romance. They didn't even have chemistry.
The movie is also made for Gen Z
The costume transitions, which became a hallmark of the previous film (set to Madonna’s Vogue), are back—now even more stylish and refined, featuring Milan Fashion Week haute couture. However, the editing in these transitions seems less practical and less sophisticated than the first one. The film dialogues well with Gen Z, using faster pacing and a style that should please that audience.
And who else appears?
Another hallmark of the first film was the cameos. Back then, we had Gisele Bündchen as Serena and designers like Valentino and Karl Lagerfeld. In a recent interview, David Frankel revealed that Gisele declined the sequel as she was about to give birth to her third child. In the new film, we don't have famous models with speaking roles, but we do have "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" cameos. I recognized Karolina Kurkova and Donatella Versace, who has a hilarious bit with Emily and Andy involving Emily Blunt speaking Italian. In the credits, many names like Dolce & Gabbana appear, but as I said, very briefly. Miranda’s daughters also appear, though I didn't recognize them.
And Lady Gaga?
Besides the main cast, one name mentioned many times in interviews was Lady Gaga, who received a personal invitation from Meryl Streep herself. She appears as herself and contributed the lead song, "Runway," along with Doechii (the video and song feel like RuPaul’s Drag Race but with style, it should be a hit). I love Lady Gaga, but I think her inclusion felt more like a tribute and a connection for the new generations (who are more connected to her and her Mayhem album success than to Madonna’s Vogue). It could have been better integrated, even her performance at the fashion show (her Victoria's Secret performance was more "fashion" and conceptual than this).
In a way, the film reminded me of the second book by Lauren Weisberger (Revenge Wears Prada). While the movie worked the plot better than the book sequel, it still doesn't reach the "classic" status of the first one.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a safe and fun sequel, but with a somewhat tired and generic formula. However, that won't stop people from enjoying it. So, wear your best look, strike a pose, and don't miss it in theaters—and of course, rewatch the first one.
*I missed the bloopers in the credits.
Check out the trailer below.
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